SAV vows to foster cooperation within ASOSAI as new chair

Hanoi (VNA) – Auditor General of the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) Ho Duc Phoc has vowed to take more concrete actions to foster cooperation within the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in a bid to bring into fully play the potential of its members and take it to a new height.

Environmental issues are becoming a serious threat to the growth of each country, making environmental audit for sustainable development more important, said the new ASOSAI chairman, referring to the theme of the 14th ASOSAI Assembly this year.

SAV will further step up environmental audit in the time ahead and strengthen operation audit to assess the management and use of resources and environmental protection of state agencies towards the sustainable development goals, Phoc told a press conference in Hanoi on September 22, following the conclusion of the assembly.

The ASOSAI 14 Assembly adopted the Hanoi Declaration which demonstrates SAV’s commitments towards ASOSAI’s mission in promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building among members with a focus on environmental auditing for sustainable development of the nations and the region.

It was the first time Vietnam hosted a regional event in public auditing and took over the chair of ASOSAI for the 2018 – 2021 term. The 14th ASOSAI Assembly provided SAV an opportunity to enhance cooperation and commitment on public audit standards to the highest level to serve the common interests of its members.

During the ASOSAI 14 Assembly, SAV has held various meetings with other ASOSAI members to reach agreements on cooperation in building a transparent and effective national financial system.

Nepalese Auditory General Tanka Mani Sharma expected that, as a chair of ASOSAI 14, Vietnam will play a leading role in the development of the audit community not only within the ASOSAI but also at the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), and further promote bilateral partnership in the field.

On the other hands, the ASOSAI 14 Assembly affirmed SAV’s strategic vision for international integration and cooperation by 2020 which highlights its mission in implementing the Party and State of Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and multilateralization, said Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien.

In her opening remarks at the ASOSAI 14 Assembly, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also hailed SAV for its development over the last two decades. It has effectively supported the NA in supervising the national financial system, she noted, adding that it has also learned from international experience to improve capacity of its auditors and strengthen new areas of audit, such as operation audit, information technology audit, public debt audit and environmental audit.

The ASOSAI Assembly, which is held every three years, is the venue for all heads of ASOSAI member supreme audit agencies to discuss and decide on major issues, necessary documents, regimes, and policies to achieve the association’s objectives and further its development. It also serves as a forum for sharing experience in the field of state audits.

The 14th ASOSAI Assembly took place from September 19 -22 in Hanoi.  The main sessions included the 7th Symposium, technical-level meetings of the Secretariat and Committees, Working Groups, and the 52nd and the 53rd Governing Board meetings.

This year’s event saw the largest ASOSAI gathering to date. Approximately 400 delegates from 79 international delegations, including ASOSAI members, the representatives of INTOSAI's working groups and international organisations as observers, participated in the Assembly.

The assembly elected the members of Governing Board, namely Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia, Nepal, Bangladesh and two members of the ASOSAI Audit Committee for the term 2018-2021 - Turkey and Kazakhstan.

It also approved the reports on the budget, research activity and capacity building, the implementation of the ASOSAI strategic plan, recognising Palestine SAI as a new member, and the regulations for observers for the Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions in South East Asia - ESEANSAI.

Auditor General of Vietnam officially assumed the role of Chairman of ASOSAI and Auditor General of China as Secretary General of ASOSAI for the 2018-2021 term at this Assembly. –VNA