Advanced technology applied in audit activities at SAV

An IT training course for auditors (Photo: baokiemtoannhanuoc.vn)

Hanoi,  (VNA) - In addition to promoting the application of information technology (IT) in its management and professional endeavours, the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) has also installed new technologies to better conduct its activities.

Initial results showed the application of information technology has brought about notable changes in audit activities, paving the way for turning technology into an important tool for the improvement of such tasks.

The efforts also demonstrate the firm commitment of the SAV, as Chair of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for the 2018-21 tenure, to changing audit methods.

In the face of a surging wave of technology that is making its way into the audit sector, updating and staying abreast of new technology in order to apply them in audit activities is an essential action and core solution to improving the quality and efficiency of audit activities.

Aware of the role technology plays in the sector’s activities, the SAV has studied and integrated new technologies that yielded fruitful results compared to traditional methods.

Given the complexities of audit activities in urban land management, which deliver low effectiveness, a group of auditors at the Regional State Audit Office No 12 sought out software and apps on urban land management, compensation, and support for the re-settlement of residents. They include Global Mapper and Map Tiler, which are designed to help auditors scan and analyse digital data on land use plans, areas of land lots, and actual land use compared to plans.

The software has made the work much easier for auditors and help them save a great deal of time compared to previously. Regarding the audit of land use plans, for instance, auditors used to work on paper documents and maps provided by relevant units. But it was difficult to uncover faults when comparing paper maps. Audit efficiency remained low as a result and was time-consuming.

The use of software and apps, meanwhile, helps auditors cut time comparing maps and determining which parts do not match.

Those tools are also able to accurately join planning maps together into a mapping system with GPS. Auditors can therefore pinpoint the location of land lots and quickly detect any violations in land management.

In regard to bank auditing, software has helped auditors easily review accuracy in the classification of debts and budgets for risk management, thereby cutting risks caused by the manual editing of data on classifying bank debts and helping audit teams agree on common steps when handling a sole task for various branches of a bank.

Along with IT application, other advanced technologies have been applied over the recent past and posted positive results. Of particular note, the use of remote sensing in the auditing of mining operations in Thuy Nguyen district in northern Hai Phong city, conducted by Regional State Audit Office No 6, proved the technology’s effectiveness.

Thanks to technological application, the SAV has identified the foundations for determining the exact area for natural resources exploitation and the actual volume of exploited minerals, thus preventing the risk of illegal mining, which causes losses and environmental damage.

Results showed that remote sensing improved efficiency in State management over the exploitation of natural resources, thus raising the role of the SAV in public asset protection.

In addition to remote sensing, over time, the SAV has bolstered the use of modern apps in auditing, including ultrasonic testing (UT) detection technology and computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs).

As audit activities have significantly improved with the application of new technologies, the number of violations discovered through auditing has surged and all units have now installed and are using new software./.