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commissioner - large taxpayer department, Ministry of Finance, Mauritius

Michel Mario Hannelas feels he has benefited greatly from becoming a chartered certified accountant. He explains: 'Immediately after passing the final ACCA exams in 1989, I was promoted to tax investigating officer at the income tax department in Mauritius. In 1992, thanks to my ACCA qualification, I obtained a scholarship from the French government to study for a DESS in tax administration at the University of Paris Dauphine IX, France, which I successfully completed in 1993. In August 2001, I was called upon by the Ministry of Finance to set up the large taxpayer department, which became fully operational in 2002. In March 2003, I was appointed commissioner of the department which is the highlight of my career.'

Mario is now responsible for a department which collects approximately six billion rupees a year. In the future, he would like to offer his services to an international organisation. Despite recent corporate scandals, Mario has high hopes for the future of the accounting profession. He states: 'I would like to see the profession playing a leading role in all matters relating to work ethics and expect to see it at the forefront of the fight against fraud, corruption and all other forms of malpractice.'

When asked about the current hot issues of responsibility and ethics in accounting, Mario responded: 'Accountants can only call themselves responsible and earn respect from the public, if, in carrying out their duties, they demonstrate their ability to act independently, honestly and make the right decisions, even in difficult situations.'