Strong action, creating new momentum for the ASOSAI community

Delegates attending the 53rd ASOSAI Executive Board Meeting pose for a group photo. Photo: VNA

After four days of serious work (September 19-22) with many important activities, the 14th Assembly of Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) successfully ended.

This is a major foreign affairs event of great significance, affirming the important position of the State Audit of Vietnam in the region and the world. It is also an opportunity and responsibility of the State Audit of Vietnam in its role of managing, leading and creating new momentum for the ASOSAI community.

Opportunity and mission

This is the first time Vietnam has organized an event of such scale and significance in the region in the field of public audit. The selection of the State Audit of Vietnam to host and hold the position of ASOSAI Chairman for the 2018-2021 term shows the recognition of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the ASOSAI community for the auditing industry of Vietnam over the years.

Speaking about the importance of the auditing industry, Madinah Binti Mohamad, Auditor General of Malaysia, Chairwoman of ASOSAI for the 2015-2018 term, affirmed that one of the challenges facing public auditing today is how to achieve a high level of accountability, prevention, and thorough resolution of problems, ensuring trust in public opinion and society. From there, they will cooperate in providing information about waste, fraud, or bad practices, thereby finding the causes and measures to effectively resolve existing difficulties.

Therefore, the 14th ASOSAI Congress is an opportunity for the State Audit of Vietnam to strengthen cooperation, learn, and commit to the highest public auditing standards with member Supreme Audit Institutions to serve the common interests of the members.
Within the framework of the Congress, many talks took place between the State Audit Office of Vietnam and member Supreme Audit Offices to reach cooperation agreements with the aim of implementing effective measures for the purpose of building a transparent and effective national financial system...

Not only is it an opportunity for the State Audit of Vietnam to continue to innovate and improve in all aspects, creating motivation for the auditors to practice and enhance their professional capacity and ethics in the international environment, according to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Phung Quoc Hien, the 14th ASOSAI Congress also affirms the strategic vision on international integration and cooperation of the State Audit until 2020 approved by the National Assembly Standing Committee.

That is also the important mission of the State Audit in demonstrating the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization in foreign relations; proactive and active international integration of the Party and State of Vietnam.

Mature and reputable

According to the assessment of the Supreme Audit Institutions members of the ASOSAI community, the State Audit of Vietnam has only undergone 24 years of establishment and development but has grown very quickly and created prestige in the region as well as in the world in the field of public audit.

In fact, over the past 20 years as a member of ASOSAI, the State Audit of Vietnam has continuously strengthened its voice and role in the development of the organization, while making significant contributions to the integration cooperation process as well as improving the auditing capacity of member Supreme Audit Institutions in the ASOSAI community. In addition, joint auditing coordination activities with member Supreme Audit Institutions have contributed to strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding between Vietnam and countries in the region.

As an agency established by the National Assembly, over the years, through its auditing activities, the State Audit of Vietnam has provided timely, highly reliable and convincing information to the State on the current status of management mechanisms and institutions. Thereby, helping the Government, ministries, branches and functional agencies to research, amend and supplement, contributing to the completion of the legal system, management policies, the system of budget allocation norms, norms, standards, spending regimes, strengthening and transparency in financial management and use; public assets of ministries, branches, localities and audited units to "plug loopholes" in budget management and operation.

In her opening speech at the 14th ASOSAI Congress, Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan emphasized that, after more than two decades of growth and development, the State Audit of Vietnam has demonstrated its important role and position in the political system of the Vietnamese State, becoming an effective tool to help the National Assembly effectively supervise the national financial system.

The National Assembly acknowledged the proactiveness of the State Audit of Vietnam in applying international knowledge and experience in accordance with practical conditions to enhance the capacity of auditors and operational efficiency in a number of new auditing areas, such as: performance auditing, information technology auditing, public debt auditing and especially environmental auditing.

Great responsibility

Since its establishment in 1979, ASOSAI has always operated with the motto of promoting the continuous development of public auditing in the Asian region.

The ASOSAI Forum, as a driving force and bridge for professional cooperation in public audit in the region, is of particular importance in promoting the professional capacity of each member Supreme Audit Institution in particular and the influence of the Asian region in general in the world auditing community. The 14th ASOSAI Congress in 2018 selected the theme “Environmental Auditing for Sustainable Development” and was strongly supported by the member Supreme Audit Institutions.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien also affirmed that environmental issues are a huge obstacle to the development of each country. The reason is due to climate change in the world, along with the strong development of economies that have given rise to related issues such as pollution, waste, natural resources...

If environmental issues are not properly resolved, the development of countries will face many difficulties, including Vietnam. Therefore, choosing the environmental theme at this Congress is a correct choice, contributing to sustainable development and creating a more solid foundation for the future.

However, as the Chair of ASOSAI for the 2018-2021 term, it is also a great responsibility for the State Audit of Vietnam to coordinate members to demonstrate the commitment, efforts and practical contributions of the ASOSAI community in pursuing the United Nations development goals in general and addressing global environmental challenges in particular.

Mr. Tanka Mani Sharma, Auditor General of Nepal, member of the ASOSAI Executive Board, expressed his hope that in his new position as Chairman of ASOSAI 14, Vietnam will promote its leading role in the development of the auditing community. According to Mr. Tanka Mani Sharma, Vietnam will play a leading role in leading the auditing community not only for the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) but also for the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), along with other development partners, further promoting bilateral cooperation.

The "Hanoi Declaration" - an official document summarizing the most important working results of the Congress - was adopted, demonstrating the commitment of the State Audit of Vietnam to continue implementing ASOSAI's mission in promoting knowledge sharing and capacity development of member Supreme Audit Institutions, focusing on developing environmental auditing for the sustainable development of countries and regions.

State Auditor General of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc, Chairman of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, pledged to continue to take stronger and more drastic actions to create new momentum for ASOSAI cooperation, to promote all potentials of member SAIs and bring ASOSAI as a model regional organization to a new height.

Emphasizing that environmental challenges will become increasingly serious, threatening the development of countries, making the task of environmental auditing for sustainable development increasingly important and heavy, State Auditor General of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc affirmed that the State Audit of Vietnam will continue to promote environmental auditing in the coming time, especially strengthening auditing in activities to comprehensively assess the management, use of resources, and management responsibilities in environmental protection of state management agencies to achieve sustainable development goals./.