ISIA President Johnson Lobo Calls for Integrity, Accountability and Professional Responsibility at Annual Congress 2026

ISIA President, Mr. Johnson Lobo addressed the ISIA Annual Congress 2026 at the start of Day 1 this morning at the Heritage Park Hotel.

We gather not simply to talk about accounting, but to reflect on the future of the accounting profession, the future of our workforce, and the future of our nation.

This year’s congress is hosted with the theme: “𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔: 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔, 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔.”

This Congress comes at a critical time. Solomon Islands is changing. Our economy is changing. Technology is changing. And the expectations placed on our institutions are rising. Therefore, our profession must evolve.

“When we speak of nation-building, we often think of roads, bridges, ports, and schools. But behind every successful development project, every budget, and every major investment is something less visible: sound financial management and a system of accountability,” ISIA President, Mr. Lobo, said.

“Whether we serve in Government, the private sector, State-Owned Enterprises, or private practice, we have a duty that goes beyond our immediate employers: we have a responsibility to Solomon Islands. Every dollar must be managed responsibly. Every procurement decision must withstand scrutiny. Every public resource must be treated as a public trust,” he added.

Mr. Lobo said technology and artificial intelligence can process millions of transactions in seconds, however, it cannot replace professional judgement grounded in integrity.

“It cannot replace moral responsibility, courage, or our duty to tell the truth. Technology may change how we work, but it must never change what we stand for,” he said.

The congress is the flagship event of ISIA and is very important for accounting professionals in all sectors.

It is a platform where the accounting profession meets and networks with business and industry leaders as well as the Government to hold conversations on key matters affecting the profession and seek collaborative and sustainable solutions to strengthen the country’s financial management systems.

The Congress will also feature perspectives from regional professional and standards-setting organizations, including the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB), Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) and other regional Professional Accounting Organizations.