The State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) in joint hand with the National Assembly’s Finance and Budget Commission held a press conference here in Hanoi on 26 February 2008 to publicly disclose the former’s annual audit plan 2008 and outcomes of some of its audits concerning capital expenditure and national targeted programmes.

Under the plan, SAV will conduct during 2008 audits of state budget, money and assets for the year 2006 at 35 provinces and centrally- managed cities who were not audited in 2007, and of state budget, money and assets for the year 2007 at 20 ministries and central agencies and of final accounts of 19 capital expenditure projects and NTPs, of financial statements for the year 2007 of 23 State-run enterprises, and banking and financial institutions, and of financial statements for the year 2007 of several entities under sectors of national security, defense and under the Party sphere, and others. Some audited entities in this year plan will be audited for the first time, noticeably the Government’s Office, the National Assembly’s Office, Ministry of Finance, State Securities Commission, etc.

Also at the event, SAV made public about the outcomes of 6 audits it had done, among those included some at the spotlight from the public at large namely Rural Infrastructure Sector Project, Ham Thuan – Da My Project, Northern Thang Long – Van Tri Urban Infrastructure Development Project, Programme 135-Phase II, NTP for Rural Water Supply and Environment Hygiene, NTP for Education. It was noteworthy that after being audited, relevant documents on the Northern Thang Long – Van Tri Urban Infrastructure Development Project had been transferred by SAV to investigation agencies for further follow-up on some issues concerning loss and waste of state money and assets.

At the discussion session, Khai and Hai answered wide ranging questions by reporters about the coordination between SAV and the Government Inspectorate and MOF’s Financial Inspection Department, level of punishment levied on financial regulation offenders after the availability of SAV’s conclusions and recommendation, the independence and objectivity of SAV while auditing its own annual expenditures, etc.

In response to questions raised by reporters on possible compromise deals on changes to audit results, Hue had shown his straightness in admitting that this type of risk always exists in SAV activates, not only associated with auditors but SAV executives as well. It was therefore that in addition to improving its internal control system, SAV has launched a campaign to maintain professional ethics among auditors. This year’s topic will be on ‘building a pool of purified and strong auditors’.