The State Auditof Vietnam (SAV) will audit 143 companies and agencies belonging to 16 ministries, 34 provinces and cities, 25 investment projects and five national target programmes in 2013.

This was announced by Deputy State Auditor General Le Minh Khai at a press conference on December 21.

A number of state-owned groups and banks were slated for auditing, including the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, the Coal and Mineral Industries Group, the Song Da Corporation, Electricity of Vietnam and Vietnam Textiles and Garments.

Four State-owned banks were also on the list: the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade, the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, the Vietnam Commercial Bank and the Vietnam Development Bank.

Auditing State-owned groups and banks aims to provide objective and truthful information about the economic restructuring process to the Government and people.

The audits will focus on inspection of land management and use, home and urban development and exploitation of natural resources and minerals.

SAV will also step up inspections in areas related to economic restructuring, especially projects relating to state investment restructuring, added Khai.

Based on the results, the SAV will propose the Government and the National Assembly directing the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and banks.

The SAV carried out 161 audits and proposed solutions for financial errors worth 9.1 trillion VND (roughly 433 million USD) in 2012.-VNA