During the first working day of the 15th Session of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly (NA), under the direction of Deputy Chairman of the NA Nguyen Duc Hai, the Standing Committee listened to Deputy State Auditor General in charge of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) Ngo Van Tuan presented the Report on the performance of 2022 and the audit plan for 2023 of the State Audit; listened to the Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Budget of the National Assembly. Chairman of the NA Vuong Dinh Hue attended and spoke at the working session
Deputy State Auditor General in charge of Ngo Van Tuan reported NA’s Standing Committee
Mr. Tuan informed the Standing Committee on SAV's tentative audit plan for 2022 and 2023 that, despite the continued complexity of the Covid-19 pandemic in the first months of 2022, the SAV proactively and focused on implementing numerous solutions to overcome all obstacles with the motto "Solidarity, Discipline, Quality and public affair ethics," and determined to complete the audit task in 2022 to achieve progress, quality, and efficiency.
Notably, in order to progressively migrate from conventional to new audit methodologies based on digital data, towards a safe and integrated digital audit environment, SAV has launched a pilot remote audit for the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group
Concerning the audit results for the first 8 months of 2022 covering 162 issued audit reports and 6 audit reports carried forward from 2021, SAV proposed to handle over VND 22,000 billion; proposed to cancel, amend, supplement, and issue 102 new legal documents and inappropriate management documents; transferred the Investigating Police Agency to investigate, clarify, and handle in accordance with the provisions of 08 cases with signs of violation of the law which is found during the audit process. SAV has reported to the National Assembly's Standing Committee on the investment strategy of five significant national projects; is drafting a report for submission to the National Assembly on the State Budget projections (State Budget) and the allocation plan for the Central Budget in 2023.
The report also stated that after two years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, SAV held a public press conference in 2022 to summarize the audit results in 2021, the results of implementing the audit conclusions and recommendations in 2020, and the audit results under the 2022 technical plan for the topic "The mobilization, management, and utilization of resources for Covid-19 prevention and control and support policies."
The report on SAV's work during the first eight months of 2022 also identified a number of weaknesses and limits, as follows: The number of instances exhibiting indicators of lawbreaking has been low; Several units' annual audit plan development is limited; The share of theme and performance audits is still insignificant. The use of information technology in audit has not met the required criteria nor maximized the use of application software,...
Mr. Tuan also stated that the implementation of audits under the 2023 audit plan would be carried out by SAV in the spirit of comprehensive innovation, which would focus on:
Serving the oversight requirements of the National Assembly, NA's Standing Committee, the executive management of the Government, ministries, sectors, and localities; auditing sensitive areas, prone to corruption, wastefulness, and negativity; units with large budgets, inherent risks, and verifying budget finalization reports;
Developing a strategy to arrange scientific and effective audits, and lower the number of audit sessions and focal points relative to 2022 in order to improve audit quality and effectiveness. Continue promoting general audits in order to evaluate in-depth and comprehensively the management, administration, mechanisms, and policies, particularly those with a significant impact on socio-economic life, in order to propose the improvement and remediation of gaps in order to prevent losses and wastefulness from mechanisms and policies.
Strengthening the observation and implementing audit recommendations, resolutely propose to strictly handle the cases of failure to fully implement SAV's conclusions and recommendations.
Continuing to strengthen training on ethics, culture, conduct, responsibility, and professional self-respect, ensuring the build-up of a team of State Auditors "mastering the law, professional spirit, and pure motives; regularly cultivate professional expertise"; practicing the qualities of the State Auditor to be "precise, honest, responsive, and hardworking"; improving the role and responsibilities in controlling the quality of audits, inspections, and examination to improve the quality of audits and inspections.
SAV shall determine the directions and duties of the State Audit Office of Vietnam in 2023 as follows: To tighten discipline and discipline in the performance of public tasks, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of SAV; To comprehensively complete the work plan for 2023 in the spirit of strengthening the responsibilities of the heads at all levels; To promote administrative reform and strong application of information technology in auditing activities, and To promote administrative reform and strong application of information technology in auditing activities.
Nguyen Phu Cuong, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, stated that SAV's report revealed the 2022 work performance limitations and successes. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly concurs with SAV report's conclusions, as well as its achievements and limits.
Chairman of the National Assembly of Vuong Dinh Hue attended and spoke at the working session
Chairman of the National Assembly of Vuong Dinh Hue suggested that the report on the activities of SAV in 2022 should adhere to the roles, positions, functions, and tasks outlined in the Constitution and the Law on State Audit, as well as the oversight requirements of the National Assembly and NA's Standing Committee, in order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the activities of SAV. The report should also focus on a more in-depth investigation of the bottlenecks and deficiencies in SAV's operations resulting from inadequate processes, policies, or implementation organizations in order to suggest suitable remedies. SAV should also continue to enhance its role in preventing corruption, wastefulness, and negativity, as well as corruption and negativity in auditing activities.
Regarding the 2023 audit plan, the Chairman of the National Assembly agreed with the direction of reducing the number of audit assignments given by SAV. “SAV should reduce the number of audits so that audit activity would focus on major issues affecting the economic and social development of the country,” – the Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai concluded the session
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai proposed that SAV receive the guidance of the Chairman of the National Assembly, the comments of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and the moderation comments in order to complete the Report to the National Assembly, in which the 2022 Report will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and the 2023 Report on Audit Plan will be submitted to the National Assembly for comments.
To conclude the reports, Ngo Van Tuan, the Deputy State Auditor General in charge, committed to thoroughly absorbing the instructions of the Chairman of the National Assembly, the NA's Standing Committee, and the assessment opinion of the NA's Budget and Finance Committee. Consequently, SAV will adhere to its roles and responsibilities, as well as the monitoring requirement of the National Assembly and the NA's Standing Committee, in order to prepare a crucial and focused 2022 activity report. Continue to review the detailed plan for 2023 to ensure it meets the "concise, quality, and high-end audit" requirements.