(sav.gov.vn) – On the sidelines of the 25th Congress of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI 25), held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Deputy Auditor General of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) Ha Thi My Dzung held a working meeting with the State Audit Office of Hungary, led by Mr. László Windisch, President of the SAO of Hungary.
The State Audit Office of Hungary (SAO of Hungary) is the supreme public financial and economic audit institution under the Hungarian Parliament. The Constitution of Hungary stipulates that the SAO of Hungary is the highest authority responsible for auditing the management of public finances and the national economy, operating under the authority of Parliament and subject only to the Constitution and the Law.
The legal basis for audit activities includes compliance, legality and performance criteria. The supreme mandate of the SAO of Hungary is enshrined and safeguarded in the Constitution, which does not allow any other ministries or agencies to establish an audit body of equal or higher status. The Constitution also guarantees the independence of the SAO of Hungary. The Office carries out a full range of audit activities, including evaluation and the issuance of recommendations.
The SAO of Hungary has particular strengths in anti-corruption, environmental auditing and professional training. It actively contributes to international cooperation in public-sector auditing through various mechanisms, including the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI), the Contact Committee of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the European Union, the Visegrad Group cooperation framework, and the NATO International Board of Auditors (IBAN).
The bilateral meeting between the SAV and the SAO of Hungary, held within the framework of INCOSAI 25, took place in an open, sincere and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the shared determination of both sides to further deepen their traditional, effective and trustworthy cooperative relationship.
Participants from the Hungarian side included: Ms. Ágnes Sinkáné Csendes, Director of the Department for Auditing the Final Accounts of Central Government Institutions; Mr. Balázs Kováts, Director of the Quality Assurance Department; Mr. Márton Nemes, Director of the Risk Analysis Department; Ms. Andrea Kindl, Director of the International and Protocol Department.
Participants from the Vietnamese side included: Mr. Nguyen Luong Thuyet, Director General of the Department of Audit Policy and Quality Control; Mr. Ngo Minh Kiem, Chief Auditor of the Regional Audit Office No. I; Mr. Duong Quang Chinh, Chief Auditor of the Regional Audit Office No. II; Ms. Lang Trinh Mai Huong, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Mr. Nguyen Viet Ha, Deputy Head of Administrative Department.
Regarding bilateral relations, the SAO of Hungary is one of SAV’s important partners, as evidenced by the effective implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed in 2013. During the period 2009–2011, the SAO of Hungary, in cooperation with the Hungarian International Development Agency (HUNIDA), supported the SAV through a project aimed at ensuring public auditing in compliance with international auditing standards, strengthening professional cooperation and exchanges, and improving audit methodologies, which laid the foundation for the signing of the cooperation agreement in 2013.
Since then, cooperation activities between the two institutions have been implemented actively and effectively, yielding tangible results. In addition to the above-mentioned project, the two sides have organised numerous high-level visits and working meetings in Viet Nam and at the headquarters of the SAO of Hungary in Budapest. Most recently, in 2024, Deputy Auditor General Dang The Vinh paid a working visit to the SAO of Hungary and met with Ms. Monika Karas, Vice President of the SAO of Hungary. The two institutions have also jointly organised seminars on State budget formulation and audit of state budget estimates.
The SAV has sent five delegations (in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022) to participate in seminars organised by the SAO of Hungary on Strengthening integrity and transparency in the public sector, aimed at providing professional support to members of the INTOSAI community, both in in-person and online formats.
These cooperation activities have contributed significantly to enhancing the capacity of SAV staff in areas such as state budget auditing, healthcare system auditing, human resource management, education management and environmental auditing.
At the meeting, Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung expressed her pleasure at meeting colleagues from the SAO of Hungary at INCOSAI 25, and voiced her hope that this meeting would open up new prospects for cooperation between the two institutions in the coming period.
She also congratulated the SAO of Hungary on its remarkable development over its 155-year history (since 1870), and highly appreciated the achievements it has attained over the years. The Deputy Auditor General expressed her confidence that, with its long-standing tradition and strong professional expertise, the SAO of Hungary would continue to make active contributions to the development of the global public auditing community.
Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung briefed the Hungarian side on Viet Nam’s recent development, particularly the streamlining of the administrative apparatus from central to local levels; introduced the history, organisational structure, vision and strategic priorities of the SAV; and shared information on its operational performance, application of information technology and notable audit results in recent years, as well as its process of international integration and cooperation since its establishment.
Mr. László Windisch expressed his sincere appreciation for the sharing by the Deputy Auditor General and highly valued the long-standing, effective and close cooperative relationship between the two institutions.
The leadership of the SAO of Hungary expressed its desire to further expand cooperation and proposed that the two sides extend the existing Cooperation Agreement, updating priorities and new areas in line with current developments in the public auditing profession, particularly in the context of digital transformation, modern public governance and sustainable development. He also expressed his wish to sign the renewed Cooperation Agreement in Viet Nam, as a symbol of the strong and growing friendship between the two institutions.
Building on the established cooperative relationship, both sides agreed to continue promoting more practical and effective cooperation through the organisation of high-level leadership exchanges and technical working visits on areas of mutual strength and interest. In this regard, the two sides agreed to identify three to four priority themes for more in-depth experience sharing and cooperation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting each other in multilateral forums, particularly within the framework of INTOSAI.
Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung conveyed an invitation from the Auditor General of SAV to the President of the SAO of Hungary and his colleagues to pay a working visit to Viet Nam in the near future, and proposed that the Departments of International Cooperation of both institutions work closely together to carefully prepare for the signing of the extended Cooperation Agreement during the President of the SAO of Hungary’s forthcoming visit to Viet Nam.