Ahead of the 2026 Senedd election on 7 May, ACCA Cymru/Wales (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is calling on all political parties to commit to four priorities that will underpin Wales’s future prosperity, namely:

• Build a world-class skills and careers system by expanding higher-level apprenticeships, accelerating short-course provision and embedding employer voice across regional and national skills planning, particularly for in-demand competencies like digital and green skills.
• Create the conditions for sustainable business growth through investment in infrastructure and connectivity, business support and stronger engagement between government and key sectors.
• Strengthen public finance, productivity and tax certainty with greater funding certainty through multi-year budgets, a simpler tax environment and reform of the business rates system.
• Enable a practical and just transition to net zero by providing targeted support for small businesses and strengthening climate reporting across public bodies.

The prospectus also exemplifies how finance professionals can support these asks, and work with policymakers to drive change within businesses and organisations of all sizes.