News Archives

 
RAA/(Web site)/2004/2926

September 21, 2004 

Tashi delivers a course on Audit of Public Debt in Australia

Tashi, Head, Professional Development and International Relations Division (PDIRD) and also ASOSAI Training Specialist from the Royal Audit Authority leaves for Sydney , Australia on 27^th September 2004 to deliver a course on ‘Audit of Public Debt’ from 4-15 October 2004. This course on Audit of Public Debt was one of the six selected training topics preliminary designed output during the Regional Symposium for Training Specialists in Bangkok, Thailand from 29 March to 3 April 2004 organized by INTOSAI Development Initiative, a Training Arm of INTOSAI in cooperation with the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI). The Course Design Meeting was later held at Beijing , China among Training Specialists and the Subject Matter Experts. 

The ASOSAI chose the ‘Audit of Public Debt’ as the theme of the 2004 ASOSAI – sponsored training course.

September 21, 2004

Press Release

The Auditor General of Bhutan , Dasho Kunzang Wangdi attended the Regional Auditor Generals Conference on Harmonizing Institutional Efforts in Promoting Accountability held on 30^th to 31^st August 2004 at the invitation of the C & AG of Bangladesh. 

He spoke on the importance stressed by the Royal Government of Bhutan on the collective responsibility in ensuring accountability in Bhutan .  He also appraised and expressed his optimism that the recently formed PAC in Bhutan would carryout a more effective role than the counterparts in other nations – where consistency and usefulness of PAC where found fraught with vested interest of political parties and the poor support and cooperation. 

He stated that the World Bank Delegate made a special mention of the effectiveness of accountability and Transparency system in Bhutan.

The Auditor General of Bhutan also visited the Thai National Counter-Corruption Commission enroute to understand its workings, for drafting and establishment of a similar body in Bhutan.  He was impressed with the efforts made by ONCCC towards prevention of Corruption and awareness activities carried out.  He hoped that experiences of Thai Commission would be a role model for anti-corruption measures to be initiated in Bhutan .

RAA/ (Web-News)/2004/2757

September 7, 2004

Audit Awareness Programme

The Hon’ble Auditor General of Bhutan , Dasho Kunzang Wangdi will lead a team of senior officers from the Royal Audit Authority to undertake the RAA second phase ‘Audit Awareness Programme’ covering three Dzongkhags of Tsirang, Dagana and Sarpang beginning 9^th September 2004. 

The programme is aimed to educate and create awareness of the field of auditing among the members of the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogchungs (DYTs), Geog Yargay Tshogchungs (GYTs), Sector Heads of the respective Dzongkhags and the teachers and students of Higher Secondary Schools.

The Hon’ble Auditor General and the team will return to station on 16^th September 2004.

RAA/(Web-News)/2004/2604                               

August 27, 2004

Harmonizing Institutional Efforts for Promoting Accountability

The Hon’ble Auditor General of Bhutan , Dasho Kunzang Wangdi will be leaving to Dhaka , Bangladesh to attend Regional Auditors’ General Conference on the theme  “Harmonizing Institutional Efforts for Promoting Accountability” from 30-31 August 2004.

The aim of this Conference is to enhance mutual cooperation and exchange ideas among the Supreme Audit Institutions of the Regions that are viewed as an important mechanism in enhancing professional quality of all.

Stakeholders, Members of Parliamentary Committees, Senior Government Officials, Members of Accountancy Profession and Donor Agencies will also participate in a two-day Regional Conference.

RAA/(Web-Site)/2004/2527 

August 26, 2004

2^nd International Seminar on IT Audit

Assistant Auditor General and the Head of the Department of Performance, Thematic and Technical Audits, B.B. Chhetri of the Royal Audit Authority will leave for Nanjing, China on 30^th August 2004 to attend the ‘2^nd International Seminar on IT Audit’ from 1- 4 September 2004. The seminar will discuss on two theme topics on Online Audits and on Formulation of IT Audit Standards. The seminar will also discuss on how auditors conduct audit in the information era so as to promote the sharing of experiences between SAIs in the application of Information Technology in audit.

The National Audit Office of China (CNAO), which is also a member of Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), hosts the seminar.

RAA/HRD(INTOSAI)2004/2349

August 9, 2004

C&AG Director visits RAA

Khalid Bin Jamal, Director from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India is here in Thimphu, from 8-12 August’ 2004 visiting the Royal Audit Authority to discuss on the preparations of the 34th Governing Board Meeting schedule to be held at New Delhi from December 1-3, 2004. He will review the preparation for the next Governing Board Meeting and also INTOSAI Standing Committee on IT Audit meeting, which is to be held in Paro , Bhutan in April 2005.

RAA/(web news)/2003/2275                             

August 3, 2004

Crown Prince's visit to the Royal Audit Authority

 

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited the Bhutan Integrity House, Kawangjangsa to meet the auditors on 30^th July 2004.

 

All the Auditors including auditors from the Offices of the Assistant Auditor General Samdrup Jongkhar, Tsirang and Bumthang attended the Royal audience. The Royal visit enabled the auditors to share their views and raised issues related to field audits and followup of past audit reports. HRH reminded that there are many young officers in the Royal Audit Authority and it is the duty of the senior officers to guide and motivate them. HRH expressed his satisfaction with the works of the auditors and urged them to continue with their selfless service.

 

HRH was presented with the RAA Annual Audit Conference 2004 Resolutions and Theme papers.

RAA/News/2004/2177         

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

7th Annual Audit Conference

A three-day Annual Audit Conference of the Royal Audit Authority, the Supreme Audit Institute of Bhutan will be convened from 22^nd July 2004. This is the 7^th Annual Audit Conference that will be held in Thimphu .

The annual audit conference is scheduled at this time of every year where all the auditee agencies are busy closing the books of accounts for the last Financial Year and simultaneously opening the books of accounts for the new financial Year and starting the implementation of the Annual Plan.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will inaugurate the opening ceremony and His Lordship the Chief Justice of Bhutan, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye will inaugurate the closing ceremony of the 7th Annual Audit Conference respectively.

The aims of the conference are to get together all the auditors once in a year and discuss issues of common interest, share experiences, and address problems faced by the auditors.  However, main focus will be on discussion of the theme ‘barriers to effective auditing: finding solutions’.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Press Release

Tashi, Head, Human Resource Development and the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Certified Training Specialist of the Supreme Audit institution of Bhutan is presently at National Audit Office, Beijing, China designing a course on the ‘Audit of Public Debt’ along with other INTOSAI Training specialist from India, Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal. The subject matter expert from the General Accounting Office (GAO), Washington has also joined in designing the course.

Experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) briefed the specialists on Loan and debt procedures yesterday on 19^th July 2004.  The time limit for designing the course is from 19-30 July 2004.

This same group will be delivering the course to other member countries of the Supreme Audit Institutions from 4-15 October 2004 at Australia . The Australian National Audit Office will host this meeting funded by ASOSAI.

Press Release

Peer Review of Royal Audit Authority by the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India .

A team of two very senior level officers from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India , Mr. C.V Avadhani, Principal Accountant General of Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu and Mr. R.Chauhan, Accountant General of Nagaland conducted the “Peer Review” of the Royal Audit Authority.

One of the most common issues raised in any forum has been “who audits the audit?” .

Auditor General of Bhutan , Dasho Kunzang Wangdi with the Peer Review Team Mr. C.V Avadhani and Mr. R. Chauhan.

The Royal Audit Authority, the Supreme Audit Institution of the Kingdom of Bhutan is being audited twice every year. Firstly, one of the regional offices, on rotation basis, conducts the internal audit of the Royal Audit Authority. An independent firm of Chartered Accountants from India , on a three-year rotation, conducts the formal external audit. The reports of the external audit are published in the Annual Audit Report.

Further, Auditor General commissions independent studies of certain areas of operation within the organization on needs basis like the recent special examination of the Audit Recoveries Account.

During their 4-weeks programme of 2-weeks each in the months of April 2004 and June 2004, the Peer Review Team reviewed the following aspects of the Royal Audit Authority;

1.       Adequacy of Standards and Manuals

2.       Compliance with technical standards and manuals

3.       Reporting processes and systems for maintaining quality of reporting

4.       Training programmes for staff

5.       Quality Control Systems for Auditing Practices

6.       Organisation and Management Practices

7.       Auditing Techniques

8.       Budgets & Expenditure

It is expected that the report will be transmitted by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the month of August 2004.

3rd July 2004

4th INDO-BHUTAN AUDIT TRAINING CONCLUDED

The 4^th Joint Indo Bhutan Training on “Financial Auditing” concluded on 2^nd July 2004. Mr. R.B Sinha, Principal Director (Report State) from the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India and Mr. R.K Agarwal, Sr. Deputy Accountant General of Orissa, India, delivered the course to 35 participants including 5 officers from the Financial Institutions in the capital.

During the weeklong training, the participants were familiarized in the basic financial auditing mandates and processes. The participants also carried out in depth case analysis of some of the corporations in the country.

The resource persons stressed that knowledge is the basis for audit planning, execution and reporting. ‘A good plan entails a sound knowledge of the entity, well-defined audit objectives and scope, proper materiality judgments and a well-scaled risk assessment’. In the execution process, the participants discussed at length, the preparation of detail audit program, examination of records / files / books of accounts/agenda papers and minutes of the meetings of BOD, collection of competent, sufficient and reliable documentary evidences and getting necessary clarification from the Management. In the reporting process, the speakers detailed on the review of working papers, evaluation of evidences, deriving overall audit conclusions, issuance of management letter, analyses of such replies, and the preparation of the final Audit Report. The participants also discussed on the interpretations of various Auditing & Accounting Standards, Financial Institution Act and the Companies Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The Hon’ble Auditor General of Bhutan , Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, remarked that such trainings would form a core essence for the skill development of auditors of the Royal Audit Authority. He also said, the trainings would enable the auditors to discharge their duties competently by applying high professional standards and statutory requirement.