Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Deputy Auditor General of the State Audit Office of Việt Nam (SAV), talks to Vietnam News Agency on his office’s key missions in 2019

Will you please tell us some of the SAV’s major tasks for 2019?

In 2019, the SAV will focus its auditing missions on the country’s major projects in the forms of build-operate-transfer (BOT) and build and transfer (BT) like the construction of the Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi expressway, the Nội Bài- Lào Cai expressway, the Bung River hydro-power plant, the Thái Bình thermo power plant No 1 and many others.

An overall objective of our auditing missions is to assess the legal compliance of the projects.

Following the release to the public of the 2019 State audit plan, the SAV has assigned specific tasks for its agencies nationwide to conduct auditing missions in accordance with their assignments. During their auditing missions, the auditors have to uphold the principles of integrity, objectivity, confidentiality and competency.

How will information technology be applied in auditing missions?

IT application has helped us improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of our auditing missions from the stage of preparation through the implementation of the missions and the post mission period.

The SAV has developed its own software with clear standards and robust audit tools to help auditors perform their tasks quickly and precisely.

We have also digitalised documents from more than 300 auditing missions which were conducted in 2017 and 2018.

In addition, the SAV has applied information technology in all activities, including the management, particularly documentation.

The SAV has paid high regards to the use of technology in its auditing activities to make them on par with foreign peers while trying to catch up with the rapid application of the industry 4.0 internationally.

Regarding its development strategy, the SAV has come up with a specific IT roadmap for the establishment of an auditing digital environment. The SAV has developed different stages for the strategy, including the development of the infrastructure and technology to be ready for switching to cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence. We understand that the tasks are very demanding, but we’ll try to accomplish them at our best.

In applying new technology, we have also paid high attention to developing a good technical and data infrastructure while applying the most advanced IT technology as well as measures to ensure information security and safety.

What will the SAV do in 2019 to accomplish its role as president of Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI)?

In the capacity as the ASOSAI President from 2018-21 and a member of the ASOSAI Executive Board from 2018-24, the SAV vows to do its best to accomplish its assigned tasks and missions. We have laid down the following five main tasks:

First, the SAV vows to accomplish all the tasks assigned to the ASOSAI President in 2018-21, including organising training workshops on auditing skills and other requirements from ASOSAI.

Second, the SAV will try to do its utmost to accomplish all the tasks and missions as the ASOSAI President in the three years (2018-21) which were adopted at the 14th ASOSAI Assembly.

Third, the SAV is committed to taking the role as the ASOSAI President to ensure that all the tasks and missions adopted at the 14th ASOSAI Assembly will be implemented.

Fourth, Việt Nam vows to work closely with the Chinese SAI and Japanese SAI to make sure all the goals of the ASOSAI 2016-21 Strategic Plan and other commitments in the Hà Nội Statement be implemented.

And finally, with efforts from all ASOSAI members, we will become a role model for other International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions members to follow. — VNS