Speaker of the National Assembly: Auditing activities contribute to saving trillions of dong in expenditures.

According to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man , since its establishment, auditing activities have contributed to saving thousands of billions of dong for the state budget and preventing and handling many violations.

This morning, July 11th, in Hanoi , the State Audit Office of Vietnam held a ceremony to celebrate its 30th anniversary (July 11, 1994 - July 11, 2024) and to receive the First-Class Labor Order. Speaking at the ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Manh stated that from its early days with only 5 units and 60 officials, civil servants, and auditors, the State Audit Office has now developed strongly with 32 subordinate units and over 2,000 officials, civil servants, and auditors. Of these , 100% of state auditors hold a university degree or higher; and over 55% of officials and civil servants hold master's or doctoral degrees, having received rigorous training both domestically and internationally.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered a speech at the commemoration ceremony. (State Audit Office)

This is clear evidence of the remarkable development in both the quantity and quality of the State Audit Office's auditors; affirming that the State Audit Office is increasingly mature and strong; contributing to building a transparent and sustainable national finance system, effectively serving the country's industrialization, modernization, and international integration. According to the Chairman of the National Assembly, since its establishment, through its auditing activities, it has contributed to saving thousands of billions of dong for the state budget, preventing and handling many violations. It has effectively supported the investigation, inspection, and examination work of functional agencies, aiming to strengthen financial discipline and order, and prevent corruption, negative practices, and waste. "The State Audit Office has always closely followed the activities of the National Assembly and the socio -economic management and administration of the country; providing the National Assembly with reliable information and data to approve the state budget settlement; decide on the state budget estimates and allocate the central budget annually; and helping to make the supervision activities of the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly more effective," the Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized. Through auditing activities, shortcomings in regulations and policies have been discovered, and recommendations have been made to improve policies on public finance and public assets. At the same time, through auditing, it has supported the People's Councils and People's Committees of localities in managing, operating, supervising, and deciding on important local issues. According to the Chairman of the National Assembly, throughout its development, the State Audit Office has continuously expanded international cooperation; it is a member of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions and the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions. In particular, successfully hosting the 14th Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Congress in 2018 and holding the chairmanship for the 2018-2021 term has elevated the State Audit Office of Vietnam to a new position in international cooperation.

5 key tasks

Recognizing that the international situation may remain complex and unpredictable in the coming period, and that our country, alongside opportunities and advantages, will continue to face many new difficulties and challenges, the Chairman of the National Assembly requested the State Audit Office to carry out five key tasks.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man presented the First-Class Labor Order to the State Audit Office.

Firstly, it is essential to thoroughly understand and correctly implement the Party's strategic guidelines and directions; the National Assembly's resolutions on socio-economic development, national defense, security, and foreign affairs; and the Government's directives and management regarding the state budget, fiscal policy, and monetary policy. Selecting and prioritizing the key objectives of the State Audit Development Strategy until 2030 is crucial. In particular, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the directives of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Conference of Internal Affairs Agencies: the audit sector must "always firmly grasp, understand, and correctly perform its functions, tasks, and powers; must 'play its role correctly and be proficient in its duties,' truly understand and strictly implement principles, laws, regulations, and rules; especially, it must be very impartial, objective, and transparent; and it must effectively use and control the power entrusted by the Party, the State, and the people." Secondly, continue to consolidate and improve the legal framework to make the State Audit's operations increasingly effective and efficient; research and review the Law on State Audit to propose timely amendments and additions to the National Assembly, ensuring its suitability to practical operations and consistency with the current legal system. Thirdly, strengthen and improve the effectiveness of coordination between the State Audit and other agencies. The National Assembly's agencies and related bodies must be organized and operate in a public, transparent, efficient, professional, formal, and modern manner. They must define audit objectives and priorities, provide accurate and timely information to support the management, operation, and supervision of public finances and assets, and combat corruption and negative practices. Fourth, they must continue to focus on training and developing a strong team of officials with solid professional skills, expertise, political integrity, and professional ethics; and consolidate and build a united, strong, and comprehensive audit sector. Fifth, they must proactively integrate internationally in the field of State Audit; and increasingly strengthen the position and prestige of the State Audit Office within the Vietnamese state agency system and within the international audit agency system.

According to the State Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan, summarizing the audit results from its establishment to date, the State Audit Office has discovered and recommended the handling of financial irregularities totaling over 740,000 billion VND. Simultaneously, the State Audit Office has recommended the amendment, supplementation, replacement, or annulment of more than 2,200 legal documents and management documents with content inconsistent with State regulations and practice, promptly addressing loopholes in mechanisms and policies, and preventing losses and waste. In the coming period, the State Audit Office will continue to adhere to its motto of "Quality and Public Service Ethics," ensuring the fulfillment of its responsibilities for a transparent and sustainable national financial system. Looking further into the future, the development vision of the State Audit Office must be closely linked to the new requirements of the Party and the State, with the goal of making Vietnam a developed, high-income country by 2045. Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-tich-quoc-hoi-hoat-dong-kiem-toan-gop-phan-tiet-kiem-chi-hang-nghin-ti-dong-185240711112303823.htm