TWO final year students in Fiscal Studies have raised the NUST flag high by coming out in top 5 out of 88 students from Southern African universities who participated in the Ernest & Young (EY) Young Tax Professional of the year 2021 international competition.
Bothwell Chiramba and Maxwell Maduka, who are both studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Fiscal Studies, came second and fourth respectively at the regional level of the global competition.
The Ernest & Young (EY) Young Tax Professional of the year 2021 international competition aims to identify and recognise aspiring tax professionals and provide a platform for young minds to showcase their skills.
The first prize was won by a University of Pretoria student while the third prize went to a student from the University of Cape Town.
In addition to the prize money, the top three winners qualify for the EY graduate training programme.
The international competition, which is designed to reward and foster the next generation of tax leaders, is in its 10th year running.
At the global stage, the competition attracts participants from more than 30 countries.
The two NUST students have made history for being the first Zimbabwean students to participate and win in the life of the competition.
This year, at the regional stage, eighty-eight (88) talented young tax professionals participated from 9 universities in the SADC region.
NUST represented Zimbabwean universities in the global competition.
The two winners were excited about the achievement and the opportunities availed to them.
“It is not possible for me to show my thankfulness in words. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to participate in the EY Young Tax professional 2021 Southern Africa and also for the prize I won. The competition has strengthened my presentation skills,” said Bothwell, who came second at the regional level of the competition.
“The competition enriched me with solid grasp of transfer pricing, cross-border tax structuring, planning and compliance,” said Maxwell who came fourth.
The winners urged fellow students to participate in the annual competition as it presents various opportunities.
“It will help you to create a strong foundation for your careers in Tax and also to make contacts with EY professionals and the rest of the world. This will build you long lasting relationships. It is a good platform to explore diverse career opportunities,” said Bothwell.
Maxwell added that by participating in the annual international competition, students stand a chance to be named the Young Tax Professional of the Year and the opportunity to join the EY Tax graduate programme in their country.
The Chairperson of the Department of Finance, Dr Edson Mbedzi, congratulated the students for their hard work.
“I would like to thank the students for their hard work during this challenging environment and all the efforts put forward by the whole academic staff in the Department to ensure that students get the support they needed. This is a reflection that the quality of our teaching meet the global standards,” said Dr Mbedzi.