As the Chair of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institution (ASOSAI) for the 2018-2021 term, the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) has strived to implement its audit plan for 2020 despite formidable challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The audit sector makes every effort to carry out its audit plan,
making contributions to strengthening the national finance.

As a wide range of the SAV’s activities were hampered by the coronavirus outbreak, the SAV has to adjust its foreign affairs plan for 2020, including the ASOSAI Chair’s activities.

It joined hands with the National Audit Office of China – the Secretary General of ASOSAI, and members of the ASOSAI Governing Board to make preparation for the Governing Board’s online meeting on July 27.

The SAV also sharpened focus on the implementation of commitments under the Hanoi Declaration, which was considered to be among the most notable outcomes of the 14th ASOSAI. The move will help it increase prestige and influence at global and regional forums.

At the 55th Governing Board meeting of the ASOSAI held in the form of a teleconference on July 27, the SAV proposed an audit on water resources in the Mekong River basin be conducted by the agency, called “ASOSAI’s cooperative environmental audit in Southeast Asia in the 2020-2021 period”.

A parallel audit on water issues in the river basin was successfully carried out with the participation of five Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, with technical assistance from the German Development Cooperation.

Audit results show that, at the national level, the system of policies and laws and compliance with policies and laws on water resources management in general and water resources management in the Mekong River basin in particular still bear limitations, leading to the unreasonable exploitation and use of water, absence of planning, and increases in water pollution.

The success of the audit provided valuable lessons on the efficient and sustainable use and management of water resources, especially water resources flowing through the territories of many countries, for ASOSAI members in general and SAIs in Southeast Asia in particular, thus reducing negative impacts on the environment and the social security of residents in relevant areas.

In the first half of 2020, the SAV represented the ASOSAI to attend two online technical-level meetings on building strategic plan of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), and gave opinions on orientation of the ASOSAI’s strategies, plans to build strategic plans, and survey of SAIs’ information.

The SAV’s initiative to set up a special committee, which is responsible for studying the establishment of an ASOSAI’s working group to carry out sustainable development goals of the state audits, was said as a pioneer recommendation in the INTOSAI.

Its documentary film “ASOSAI for sustainable development”, to be screened at the 15th Assembly of ASOSAI in Thailand next year, received enthusiastic support from members of the ASOSAI’s Governing Board. The film aims to popularise and acknowledge ASOSAI’s contributions to promoting and realising sustainable development goals under the Hanoi Declaration.

The ASOSAI founded in 1979, pursues a common mission like other working groups of the INTOSAI, that is “Professional supreme audit institutions promote good State governance” and with the core values of “Professionalism, Cooperation, Equality, Creativity”.

The ASOSAI’s goal is to promote mutual understanding and cooperation among member SAIs through the exchange of ideas and experience in public auditing, creating favourable conditions for the training of State auditors to improve working quality and efficiency.

The State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) became a member of ASOSAI in 1997. In the first period of the membership, the SAV mainly sent auditors to attend training courses and workshops sponsored by ASOSAI to enhance professional capacity. Since 2010, the SAV has undertaken a more active role in professional activities of ASOSAI.