Director of Audit joins National Audit Office to attend 25th Congress of International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions

At the invitation of the National Audit Office of the People’s Republic of China (CNAO), the Director of Audit, Professor Nelson Lam, in the company of Senior Auditor Mr Toby Cheung, attended the 25th Congress of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI) held from October 27 to 31 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.  During the trip, Professor Lam briefed the Auditor General of CNAO, Mr Hou Kai, who led the national delegation, on the recent work of the Audit Commission (Audit) and shared with the other members of the delegation the latest development of the Commission.

The INCOSAI is convened triennially.  Its 25th iteration was hosted by the Accountability State Authority of Egypt, with the themes “The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Auditing Central Banks and Government Activities during Financial and Economic Crises” and “Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Auditing”.  Participants included the chiefs of supreme audit institutions of various nations and representatives of relevant regional bodies and international organisations.  During the Congress, the representatives delved into issues such as emerging technologies, finance and economics in the context of auditing.  The dialogue covered, among others, experiences in the application of artificial intelligence in the auditing workflow, as well as the role and scope of work of audit institutions amid economic crises.

Professor Lam thanked the country for its support and nurturing, which enabled Audit staff to take part in the INCOSAI as members of the national delegation again and benefit from the exchange of professional knowledge with audit practitioners from across the globe.  Professor Lam said that the CNAO, which was still in its founding stage when it joined the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions in 1982, has grown into an important member of the global authority.  The CNAO’s role is set to further develop as the Auditor General, Mr Hou Kai, was elected during this Congress as Vice-Chair of the Congress for the upcoming term.  As part of the nation’s audit profession, Audit is deeply motivated by Mr Hou’s election.  Professor Lam remarked that Audit is committed to “better integrating into and serving in the overall national development”, as stated in the Recommendations of the Communist Party of China Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, and will, as always, deliver its best efforts in the local public sector auditing work and make active contributions to national development by leveraging the unique advantages and important functions of Hong Kong, which has the strong support of the Motherland and close connection with the world.

The team of the Hong Kong Audit Commission expressed its gratitude to the
National Audit Office of the People’s Republic of China for its continued support,
which enabled the staff of the Commission to be involved in international audit affairs as members of the Chinese delegation again and put into good use the advantages of having the strong support of the Motherland and close connection with the world.

The Auditor General of the National Audit Office of the People’s Republic of China,
Mr Hou Kai (left), was elected Vice-Chair of
the Congress of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions.
The Director of Audit, Professor Nelson Lam, was deeply motivated by Mr Hou’s election.

The photo shows some of the members of the Chinese delegation to the
Congress of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions – the Auditor General of the National Audit Office of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Hou Kai (first left), the Director of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Offices of the National Audit Office, Mr Jiang Hai Ying (first right), the Director of Audit of the Hong Kong Audit Commission, Professor Nelson Lam (second left) and the Commissioner of Audit of Macao, Ms Ao Ieong U (second right).

During the Congress, Professor Lam engaged in exchanges with audit practitioners from around the world, and took the chance to tell the good stories of China and Hong Kong.

Senior Auditor of the Audit Commission, Mr Toby Cheung (left), stated that it was a valuable opportunity for him to attend the Congress as a member of the national delegation.
He looked forward to sharing his experience from the trip with his colleagues in the future.