Establishment of a Supreme Audit Institution

The objective of the project was to assist the Government of Laos to carry out the groundwork required for the establishment of a Supreme Audit Institution (SAI). This included reviewing accounting and audit legislation currently in place, and assessing the institutional framework relating to the Government’s and its development partners’ audit needs and requirements. Cowater developed a model that included the mission, scope, main functions and organization of a SAI. The final report included recommendations around the proposed legal framework; staffing, classification and training; international accounting and audit standards and manuals; and the use of computers in the audit process. Finally, Cowater prepared a draft decree for a National Audit Office.