(sav.gov.vn) – Following a courtesy reception on the morning of 17 July, State Auditor General of Viet Nam, Mr. Ngo Van Tuan, chaired a professional conference between the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) and the State Audit Organisation of Laos (SAO), held at the SAV headquarters. The conference was themed “The involvement of SAIs in the state budget planning cycle and mechanisms, procedures, and methods for monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations.”
The Lao delegation included President of SAO Laos, Mr. Viengthavisone Thephachanh; Vice President, Mr. Toy Phonthilath; leaders from the Southern Region Audit Office and departmental heads of SAO Laos.
Also in attendance was H.E. Mr. Khamphau Anthavan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao PDR to Viet Nam, accompanied by Mr. Souphalak Soukpanya, Second Secretary (Ambassador’s Assistant).
Representing the SAV were Deputy State Auditor General Ms. Ha Thi My Dzung and heads of several affiliated departments.
The conference served as a platform for both sides to exchange experiences, explore effective practices, and discuss innovations in the field of public auditing. It not only clarified the role of SAIs in national budget planning and public financial oversight but also underscored their shared responsibility in enhancing transparency, accountability, and the efficient utilisation of public resources.
The discussions focused on two key areas. The first was the participation of SAIs in the national budget planning cycle, a topic that highlights SAV’s contributions to the review of budget estimates, the allocation of central government budgets, adjustments to the national budget, and the budgeting for national target programmes and major projects decided by the National Assembly.
The second area addressed the mechanisms, procedures, and methods for monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations, a crucial aspect to ensure the effectiveness and practical value of audit findings.
SAV representatives delivered two presentations, one on its participation in the national budget planning cycle and another on the mechanisms and methods for monitoring audit recommendation implementation.
Regarding budget planning participation, SAV noted that this role is stipulated in the Law on State Budget and related regulations. Over time, SAV has provided inputs on draft state budgets and central budget allocations, offering: Independent and objective information to the National Assembly in reviewing and approving the budget; Constructive feedback to the Government in preparing the budget report; Foundational information to budget-using entities for developing annual estimates that are economically sound and feasible; Contributions to raising awareness and accountability;Reinforcement of SAV’s role and standing, aligned with its core values: Transparency – Quality – Efficiency – and Continuous Value Creation.
As for monitoring audit recommendation implementation, the SAV has continuously refined its methodology and processes to improve the compliance rate, considering this a strategic task to enhance the value and societal impact of audits.
With the proactive efforts of SAV, and strong support from the National Assembly, Government, and high-level determination from ministries and local authorities, implementation rates have seen notable improvement.
Most audit recommendations by SAV have been implemented by the relevant entities, with financial and other measures seeing an average compliance rate of 75–80% in the year following the audit.
In particular, recent years have seen a steady rise in this rate. For instance, in 2024, the implementation rate reached 83.35%.
To achieve these results, SAV adopted several measures, including: Designing a streamlined annual audit plan with fewer audits, allowing deeper and higher-quality engagements under the motto "fewer but better audits"; Enhancing audit quality control; Standardising audit guidance documentation; and Strengthening monitoring, inspection, and follow-up on audit recommendation implementation.
During the conference, Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan also elaborated on topics of interest to the SAO, such as the nature of the SAV’s input into budget estimates and allocations, and how audit recommendations are executed to ensure their effectiveness and effeciency.
He expressed hope that the experience shared by the SAV would assist the SAO in successfully fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to them by the Lao Party and people. He also proposed that the two institutions continue to strengthen their cooperation in the coming time.