Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dzung works with the Royal Audit Authority of Bhutan

At the meeting, the Royal Audit Authority of Bhutan was represented by Dasho Tashi, the Auditor General; Minjur Dorji, Dorji Wangchuk, and Chhoden, the Deputy Auditors General, along with other leaders at departmental level.

During the meeting, Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dzung expressed gratitude for the warm welcome from the RAA. Dzung emphasized his delight to witness the thriving relations between the two countries in recent times and hoped that the SAV and RAA would further strengthen cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral framework, particularly in auditing activities based on the principles of Gross National Happiness, an area of RAA’s strength.
 

After briefting the significant developments in the economic and social situation, as well as the bilateral relationship between the two countries, Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dzung proposed that the two sides intensify the exchange of high-level delegations and expert groups, to share auditing expertise and experience in areas of mutual interest. This would contribute to the ongoing and effective development of the bilateral cooperation between the SAV and the RAA.

The RAA Auditor General, Dasho Tashi, congratulated the SAV on being elected as a member of the ASOSAI Audit Committee for the term 2024-2027. He also highly valued the diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Bhutan in recent years and expressed a desire for further prosperous development of the relation between the two countries and their respective audit institutions.

Following the courtesy visit, Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dzung and Auditor General Dasho Tashi co-chaired a seminar to exchange audit experience between the two agencies.

During the seminar, an RAA representative highlighted its roles and responsibilities regarding accountability in the public sector in Bhutan. The presentation also identified existing challenges and proposed solutions to enhance accountability in the public sector through timely detection and promptly taking disciplinary action, as well as following up the implementation of audit recommendations to rectify and resolve violations.

On behalf of the SAV, Director General Doan Huy Vinh presented a paper titled “Thematic audit of urban planning management and construction permits in Viet Nam”, emphasizing the importance of planning management and construction permitting in urban areas in relation to environmental protection.

According to Vinh, through audit activities, the SAV has identified numerous issues and limitations and has accordingly made recommendations regarding planning management and permit issuance at the local level. The audit results also highlighted gaps in the construction permitting process, overlapping in permit granting, non-compliance with regulations, or a lack of transparency in urban planning processes, etc. This led to recommendations on leveraging information technologies, improving capacity of the staff, and streamlining work processes to improve the planning management and permit issuance system. Additionally, it called for raising awareness among regulatory agencies, investors, and stakeholders about the importance of adhering to legal regulations in planning and permit issuance and urged regulatory agencies to strengthen their responsibilities in supervision and inspection, etc.

During the seminar, members from both audit agencies actively exchanged and discussed good practices, methods, and experiences in building and implementing accountability mechanisms, as well as managing planning and construction permits in urban areas.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dzung and Auditor General Dasho Tashi praised the quality of the presented papers and the valuable experiences shared and discussed during the seminar. They affirmed that the success of the seminar would serve as an important foundation for future professional sharing and bilateral cooperation between the two agencies.