The 10th Tripartite Meeting between the Supreme Audit Institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam was organised in Da Nang city on August 29, 2023 (Photo: VNA)

In his opening remarks, State Auditor General of Vietnam Ngo Van Tuan said the State Audit plays an important role in raising the efficiency of management and use of public finance and assets, as well as contributing to improving publicity, transparency, accountability and discipline in the management and use of public finance and assets of a country.

In audit activities, "follow-up on audit recommendations" is a very necessary stage, because the outcome of this phase is one of the measures of effectiveness and efficiency, and reflects the actual impact of an audit, he added.

The results of the conference will be an important basis for the three audit institutions to improve the quality of the work through the successful sharing and application of practical experiences and valuable lessons of the State Auditing agencies in related fields, Tuan said.

Since 2009, the three parties have successfully organised nine meetings of head of supreme audit institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

He said that the State Audit of Vietnam always appreciates the significance of this tripartite forum, saying this is an opportunity for the parties to share experiences in the field of public audit, strengthen their professional capacity, and jointly address challenges and common concerns, thereby enhancing understanding and mutual cooperation.

At the meeting, representatives of the three audit instituations focused their discussions on some issues concerning legal foundation as well as international practices related to the monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations and lessons learned from each country in this regard. Challenges for the supreme audit institutions and solutions to improve the quality of the work were also mulled over.

The parties also reached a consensus on cooperation policy from now until the 11th meeting and agreed on the theme for the event which to be held in Cambodia in 2025.

A thematic symposium on performing audit in the new normal was also held in Da Nang city on the same day within the framework of the event.

The parties discussed about the "new normal" that has offered both opportunities and challenges, requiring each State Audit institution to have new approaches and new measures in planning and implementing the audit plan. Therefore, each institution needs to develop a multi-dimensional approach, combining many methods and taking advantage of the developments of advanced and modern technology to improve the quality and efficiency of audit activities in a globally connected environment.

Also on the same day, Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang hosted a reception for high-ranking delegations of the State Audit of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

According to Quang, Da Nang has always paid great attention to develop cooperative relations with localities and partners in Laos and Cambodia.

Currently, the city has signed memoranda of understanding with five provinces of southern Laos, namely Savannakhet, Champasak, Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu, and Cambodia's Battambang province. It has deployed various cooperation programmes with these localities in such fields as delegation exchange, agriculture, education, training, cultural exchange, sports, urban planning and economic development.