The first step in the development of the accounting profession in Indonesia was the enactment of the Accountant Designation Act in 1954, which regulates the use of accountant professional designation and the provision of public accounting services by professional accountants. The year 1957 saw the establishment of the Indonesian Institute of Accountants (IAI), the first professional accounting association in Indonesia (Tuanakotta, 2007, p.317). The institute was established to advance the accounting profession and practice in Indonesia, which, in the 1950s was still in its infancy. To achieve the aforementioned goals, the IAI has run various programmes and held important responsibilities, including registering member accountants, organising professional certification programmes, developing ethical codes for accountants, publishing academic and professional journals, and running continuing professional education programmes (IAI, 2012a).
