(sav.gov.vn) - On the morning of 05 August, at the headquarters of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV), Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung hosted a courtesy meeting with the delegation from Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1 of the State Audit Organisation of Lao PDR (SAO Laos), led by Chief Auditor Salavanh Inthavong.
The Lao delegation also included Deputy Chief Auditor Banhlang Bounthavong, Head of Administration Division Bouavanh Phongsavath, together with heads of other divisions and auditors of Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1, SAO Laos.
Representing the SAV were Mr. Ngo Minh Kiem, Chief Auditor of the Regional Audit Office No. I, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department, along with leaders of relevant divisions.
Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung expressed her pleasure in welcoming the delegation of Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1, SAO Laos, to Viet Nam.
She recalled the positive outcomes from the official visit by the President of SAO Laos to Viet Nam from 16–20 July 2025. During that mission, the delegation attended courtesy meetings with the Auditor General and the Deputy Auditor General; participated in a professional conference on the involvement of SAIs in the national budget planning cycle and mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations. The delegation also paid a courtesy call on the President of the National Assembly of Viet Nam, held meetings with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the SAV’s Regional Audit Office No. IV, and took part in other activities in Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau.
The SAV leadership congratulated SAO Laos on its significant progress in legal status, organisational structure, professional capacity and international cooperation, contributing to enhanced transparency and accountability in public financial management.
“The SAV highly appreciates the effective cooperation between our two institutions. I hope that this working visit will yield fruitful results, enabling valuable exchanges of professional experience and contributing to strengthening the capacity of auditors from both sides.” Said Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung.
Providing an update on Viet Nam’s socio-economic situation and SAV’s organisational reforms, Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung noted that the Party and Government of Viet Nam are implementing an extensive reform programme to streamline administration structures by merging provinces and cities, eliminating the intermediary district-level administration, and restructuring commune-level administration.
In line with this context, the SAV is also restructuring its regional audit offices and adjusting its audit organisation model to align with the newly adopted two-tier local government structure and the revised Law on State Budget recently adopted by the National Assembly of Viet Nam.
At present, the SAV maintains 20 effective bilateral cooperation agreements with international partners, mainly Supreme Audit Institutions, including the Cooperation Agreement between the SAV and SAO Laos, first signed in 2000 and renewed in 2022.
In response, Chief Auditor Salavanh Inthavong expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by the SAV and thanked Vietnamese colleagues for their long-standing support and cooperation.
He shared that SAO Laos still faces certain limitations regarding audit quality and efficiency. Therefore, this working visit is of great significance, as the selected technical themes meet the practical needs of SAO Laos and enable its auditors to learn from the SAV’s experience.
The Lao delegation expressed their wish for continued support from the SAV, particularly through training programmes, technical cooperation and experience exchanges, especially for Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1.
Agreeing with the proposals, Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung stated that she will report and recommend to the Auditor General of Viet Nam and instruct relevant units to coordinate with SAO Laos and Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1 to organise expert missions from the SAV to Laos to provide training and professional exchange sessions, aiming to implement these activities as early as 2025.
She affirmed that the SAV will continue to provide maximum support to SAO Laos, with the expectation that cooperation between the two institutions will grow closer, more practical and more effective, commensurate with the special friendship between Viet Nam and Laos.
Following the courtesy meeting, on 05–06 August, auditors of SAV’s Regional Audit Office No. I and Northern Regional Audit Office No. 1 of SAO Laos held professional workshops on the following topics: Tax audit and reassessment of tax obligations; Audit of financial statements of State-owned clean water supplying enterprises; Audit of tax revenues from leasing land and mineral exploitation rights and payments to the State budget.
Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dzung expressed confidence that the workshops would deliver substantive and practical results, strengthening mutual understanding and further enhancing cooperation between the two Regional Audit Offices of two SAIs towards a modern, professional and sustainable development of both institutions.
In addition to professional activities, the SAV hosted a sightseeing tour of Ninh Binh, hoping that the Lao delegation would enjoy the landscapes and create meaningful memories of Viet Nam and its people.