Chartered Accountant Criticizes ‘VIP Treatment’ for Elite Members at WOFA 2.0

A recent tweet by Chartered Accountant Anupam Sharma has sharply criticized the growing “VIP treatment” culture at the World Forum of Accountants (WOFA) event.

WOFA is a global platform organized by the ICAI to advance the accounting profession. The WOFA event brings together international finance leaders to discuss the future of the accounting profession, share best practices and foster global collaboration.

However, CA Anupam Sharma posted a tweet, sharing his disappointing experience at the WOFA event. He criticized how the ordinary members were being treated unequally at an event where every single member holds the same prestigious title of Chartered Accountant.

He shared that plush sofas were reserved for the elite members, while there were not enough sitting arrangements for the ordinary CAs. This discrimination did not just stop here, as there were separate dining halls for the Central Council Members (CCM) or Regional Council Members (RCM) and common members. This kind of treatment at a professional event was disrespectful to the members.

“Has our leadership become so “big” that even sharing a meal with a fellow professional is beneath them?” he said.

He said the CCMs and the RCMs, who were being treated as VIP members at the event, were the same people who were desperately requesting the members to attend the event by booking through their codes.

Sharma said that these representatives visit the members’ office asking for votes, and now they have forgotten that their authority comes from the members.

He called the WOFA 2.0 event “Dhokha 2.0.” He explained that the institute’s grace is built on mutual respect and equality, rather than the vanity of sofas and different dining halls. Calling such action unacceptable, Sharma urged the need to stand against this VIP culture.

My Experience at WOfA: The Rise of an Unacceptable ‘VIP Culture’

It is deeply disheartening to witness the creeping “VIP vs. Non-VIP” culture within an institution where every single member holds the same prestigious title of Chartered Accountant. My experience at the recent… pic.twitter.com/nW33kAFpub

— CA Anupam Sharma (@caanupam7) February 2, 2026