Jakarta. Asian countries have advanced rapidly in economy, governance, trade, and investment. Such advances should be supported with close supervision applying the best technology. Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated this when officially opening the INTOSAI Development Initiative-Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (IDI-ASOSAI) meeting with Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) management and key stakeholders, today at Crown Plaza Hotel, Jakarta.

The Vice President understood that each country applies different technology and regulations. Therefore, he added, ASOSAI should be made a place to share knowledge and best practices in defining the standards of financial audit system complying with the UN Anti-Corruption Action.

Mr Kalla underscored that the more advanced the technology, the more complicated the financial crimes are. “For that reason, supreme auditors in all countries should always increase their capability,” he said, adding that without capable auditors, a country would be vulnerable to great financial damages.

Other than Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the Vice President continued, Indonesia also has internal audit agencies in every state institution. “I wish these agencies could work together to keep finances managed properly and to prevent corruption to happen,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, the Vice President hoped the meeting would increase auditors’ capacities so that inter-state white collar crimes could be diminished.

The event held at the same day of simultaneous regional elections in Indonesia are attended by 48 participants, some of whom are heads of supreme audit agencies from 20 countries.

The International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) is the world organization for supreme audit agencies overshadowing regional INTOSAIs and INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI). IDI is an NGO focusing on building capacities of supreme audit institutions (SAI) in developing countries, while the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) is an organization for supreme audit institutions in Asia, under the regional INTOSAI.

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