Auditing and financial reporting on the agenda

A delegation from Laos visited Parliament House on 10 September to learn about the roles of the Australian parliament and Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in auditing and financial reporting and the respective responsibilities and relationship between the two.

The delegation, consisting of the chair and members of the Economic Planning and Finance Committee as well as officials of the audit and finance departments, were briefed by committee officials of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The informative discussions focussed on the organisation of public hearings; the operation of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Audit; the role of parliament and the audit office in auditing and financial reporting; and the Senate estimates process.

It was the second time delegation leader, Dr Souvanpheng Boupphanouvong, had visited Australia with a parliamentary delegation (the first visit in 2012), and she hoped that this visit would contribute to strengthening the National Assembly’s role in improving financial accountability, auditing and financial reporting.

The delegation also met with the ANAO and spent a day with the Parliament of NSW in Sydney before returning home.