General auditor of The State Audit Office of Việt Nam chairs the 55th ASOSAI Governing board meeting on July 27. —VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The State Audit Office of Việt Nam (SAV) has been making great efforts in managing tasks and fulfilling its responsibilities as chairman of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) during the 2018-2021 term despite difficulties and inconveniences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of this year.

According to the SAV, due to the negative impacts and complicated development of the pandemic in Việt Nam and all over the world, activities relating to the country’s ASOSAI chairmanship were cancelled or postponed without definite dates.

Responding to the issue, the SAV adjusted its external affairs plans this year including its ASOSAI chairmanship-relating activities.

Among the adjustments is its decision to organise the 55th meeting of ASOSAI governing board in July 2020 instead of March as planned. However, in May, seeing the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAV decided to organise an online meeting, which is said to catch up with the inevitable trend of international organisations in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The information and technology application in organising conferences, meetings and training courses helped ensure ASOSAI’s activities run smoothly and effectively.

The SAV closely co-operated with ASOSAI General Secretariat – China’s SAI and members of the executive broad to develop an agenda and other preparations for the board’s 55th meeting on July 27, 2020.

At the 55th Governing Board meeting of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), which was held in the form of a teleconference on July 27,  the SAV proposed that 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".

The audit is expected to be held in the fourth quarter of 2020. Three SAIs have confirmed their participation, including those from Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam. It also received confirmation of technical assistance from the World Bank (WB) and the Canada Audit and Accountability Foundation (CAAF).

The SAV also realised goals and commitments in the Hà Nội Declaration and increased its influence in regional and global agendas.

Seeing the serious impacts of rising seawater levels and saline intrusion in Việt Nam, the SAV actively studied and submitted to Việt Nam National Assembly’s Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc a co-operation auditing programme on environment relating to water resources in the Mekong River Basin between 2020 and 2021.

After getting approval from the National Assembly chairwoman and the Prime Minister, the SAV called for participation from SAIs of Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in a survey on water resources in the Mekong River Basin. The survey results were presented at the 55th online meeting of ASOSAI’s executive broad.

In the first half of this year, on behalf of ASOSAI, the SAV attended two online meetings on developing INTOSAI’s strategy during the period of 2023-28 in April and June. The SAV also made contributions to the ASOSAI’s strategical orientation, the outlines of ASOSAI’s strategies and questionnaires for SAIs.

As ASOSAI chairman, the SAV introduced the initiative on establishing a special committee in charge of setting up a working group on sustainable development goals implementation.

The initiative was considered an ASOSAI’s pioneering initiative in the community of INTOSAI.

In addition, the SAV initiated in developing scripts and a documentary film “ASOSAI for a sustainable development” which is expected to be introduced at ASOSAI’s 15th congress taking place in Thailand next year. This initiative was welcomed by members of ASOSAI’s executive board as it would help promote and recognise ASOSAI’s contributions in general and ASOSAI’s chairmanship in particular in accelerating and realising sustainable development goals in line with the Hà Nội Declaration.

In September 2018, within the framework of the First Plenary Session, the 14th Asia Supreme Auditing Organisation Meeting (ASOSAI) was held in Hà Nội, Việt Nam State Auditor General Hồ Đức Phớc officially became the Chairman of ASOSAI for the term of 2018 - 2021. SAV’s initiatives and proposals to promote the implementation of the "Hà Nội Declaration on Environmental Audit and Sustainable Development" have been highly applauded by regional and international community. — VNS