On April 7, 2023, at the headquarters of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV), Mr. Ngo Van Tuan – Member of the Central Party Committee, Auditor General of SAV chaired the 2nd quarterly meeting in 2023. Attending the meeting were Deputy Auditors General Nguyen Tuan Anh, Doan Anh Tho and Ha Thi My Dzung and leaders of SAV units.
Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan chairing the meeting
After listening to Department of Administration’s report on the results of the implementation of the 1st quarter and the key tasks of the 2nd quarter 2023, governing advisory departments’ reports on the results of the task implementation along with opinions expressed at the meeting, the Auditor General highly appreciated all units for their proactivity and sense of responsibility in basically completing all the assigned tasks, ensuring quality and progress.
The Auditor General has directed several key tasks of the 2nd quarter in 2023, as follows:
In terms of auditing activities: The audit plan 2023 has been approved since the beginning of the year. There have also been a lot of directives and guidelines for its implementation issued by the Party Civil Affairs Committee and Auditor General. The heads of units are requested to actively study, promote and implement the plan to ensure compliance with the schedule and content.
In terms of implementing arising tasks: Governing advisory departments, specialized audit department and regional state audit offices have been prepared to arrange staff and reserved resources for performing tasks out of the audit plan 2023 including conducting audits upon the request of the authorized agencies, participating in supervisory delegations of the National Assembly (NA), the standing committee of the NA and NA Committees and performing tasks assigned by the Party and Government.
In terms of the audit of 2 cases according to the conclusion of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena in the Announcement No.146a-TB/BNCTW dated 28 Feb 2023 of the Central Committee of Internal Affairs: the Auditor General emphasized that it is necessary that the resources and personnel are best utilized to fulfill the tasks while avoiding possible mistakes.
In terms of the audit plan of 2024 and medium-term audit plan for 2024 – 2026: the Auditor General assigned Department of General Affairs to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with relevant units to advise the Auditor General to submit competent authorities for promulgation.
In terms of conducting audit plan in 2023: the Auditor General suggested focusing on “Quality and Ethics of Public Services”. Every cadre, party member, civil servant and auditor should be aware of improving public ethics, respecting discipline, having a sense of responsibility and avoiding actions that could undermine SAV's image and their own reputation.
The Auditor General suggested focusing on “Quality and Ethics of Civil Services”.
In terms of thematic audit outlines: the Auditor General required all units to timely report to the unit in charge on the difficulties and obstacles encountered during the implementation process for adequate adjustments and supplements. On the other hand, the unit in charge of developing the outline also should actively coordinate, exchange and urge relevant units to jointly conduct the audit in order to reach agreement on methods of dealing with arising problems during the audit process and also to report to SAV’s leadership to ensure that the report on the results of the thematic audit shall meet all requirements. In particular, all unites need to enhance the exchange, sharing and dissemination of valuable experience during the auditing process.
In terms of the implementation of audit recommendations: the Auditor General required relevant units to urgently review and classify outstanding audit recommendations, and clarify their reasons in order to request for SAV leaders's decision on handling methods.
In terms of the participation in the supervisory delegations of the NA: the Auditor General assigned Deputy Auditors General in charge to proactively direct relevant units to prepare sufficient resources and personnel to serve the supervisory delegations upon their request, without affecting the approved audit plan for 2023.
In terms of the completion of SAV’s legal documents: the Auditor General asked the assigned units to make the draft versions in accordance with the plan for document preparation in 2023, take charge of reviewing to amend, supplement or issue new legal normative documents, develop guidelines for the implementation of the Law on sanctioning of administrative violations in the field of state audit, design specific plans and detailed drafting schedules on time to ensure quality and progress and concentrate their human resources for in-depth research and give opinions on the draft procedures for auditing corruption cases prepared by the Department of Legal Affairs before submitting to the Auditor General for issuance.
In terms of scientific research: the Auditor General assigned Centre of Science Research and Training to give advice on ratifying the orientation of scientific and technological activities in 2024, ensurie the practical and effective aspects of research topics, continue to encourage research teams to submit scientific research results, conduct the completion and acceptance of the national projects and programs, submit to SAV's leaders the plan to organize the Ministry-level scientific conference in 2023 and carry out preparatory activities.
In terms of building staff capacity: the Department of Personnel and Organization has been assigned to conduct the recruitment of civil servants in an open and transparent way to select qualified staff, and continue the training review of resource personnel for next stages.
In terms of international cooperation: the Department of International Cooperation has been assigned to give advice to the overseas working delegations to maximize the benefits of business trips by applying lessons-learned experience in order to improve SAV’s audit quality.
In terms of construction and investment: the Department of Administration has been assigned to review and develop the Public Housing Plan in several areas before submiting to the Deputy Auditor General in charge and Auditor General.
In terms of information technology (IT) activities: Heads of units have been assigned to uphold the sense of responsibility in participating in building IT systems and IT application; ensure development of a pratical and effective IT system to catch up with the national digital transformation trend; and assign adequate staff to cooperate with Centre for Information Technology to review and evaluate the units’ softwares and their application. Based on these results, Centre for Information Technology shall report to the Party Civil Affairs Committee for consideration and decision-making.
In terms of the public relation work to celebrate the 30th anniversary of SAV's establishment: the sub-committees continue to implement activities in accordance with the directions of the Auditor General – Head of the Steering Committee at the first Steering Committee meeting.
Regarding other tasks: Heads of units shall be continously responsible for thoroughly grasping the instruction and directing their own staff to strictly implement SAV’s important directives on conducting the audit activities./.