State Audit should boost int’l cooperation to strengthen capacity: PM

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) to enhance international cooperation to learn from other countries, helping improve its capacity.

Meeting with SAV staff in Hanoi on February 2, he said the Government hopes the agency will become an effective tool of the Party and State in financial and public asset management.

Highlighting successful auditing activities, especially the recovery of more than 115 trillion VND (5.08 billion USD) for the State budget, he said the SAV’s activities have won increasing support from the Party, State and people.

The SAV has also found loopholes in state management through its activities, which helps the Government address shortcomings, he noted.

PM Phuc said he wants the SAV to become an incorruptible, facilitating and action-oriented part of the Government.

As the SAV prevents the misuse of power in financial and state asset management, it should reinforce its apparatus, enhance its capacity and professional etiquette.

The leader asked the SAV to be proactive in development while pressing ahead with policy research to give suggestions to the Government and other agencies.

It is also critical to step up administrative reform and cut down auditing time to better serve people and businesses, he added.

At the meeting, SAV Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc reported auditing has helped fine-tune regulations, policies and laws, contributing to the fight against corruption and wastefulness.

The SAV has proposed penalties for hundreds of violating collectives and persons, transferred many cases to investigation agencies and provided documents for authorised bodies to carry out examination, supervision and legal proceedings.

The SAV succeeded in auditing the restructuring and assessment of the value of State-owned enterprises, helping protect the State’s benefits before equitising these firms, Phoc noted.-VNA