The 15th Governing Board of ASOSAI met in Seoul, Korea on 11-15 June, 1990. Briefing the Governing Board on the activities of the ASOSAI, the Secretary General stated that the total membership of ASOSAI stood at 24 and that three training actitities were organised upto 1990. India had organised two training programmes - one on Audit of Receipts and the other on the Audit of Public Enterprises, he stated in his Report. INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) in cooperation with ASOSAI Secretariat held one Seminar on Public Debt in Manila, Philippines, in January 1990. The Seminar was financed by IDI and by a special contribution of US $ 10,000 from the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC). 26 Participants from 15 ASOSAI member countries attended the Seminar, apart from five observers from the Commission on Audit of the Philippines, one resource person each from Malaysia and Thailand, two each
from Canada and Philippines and one IDI representative. Referring to the Seminars contemplated in July/August 1990 and in November 1990 in Japan and Malaysia respectively and to the request made to the Asian Development Bank for funding three ASOSAI/ IDI training activities (Computer auditing, Performance Auditing and Auditing with Micro computers) over a period of three years, he hoped to intimate the details, on finalisation.
Suggestions for boosting the sale of the ASOSAI research publication 'Accountability and Control of Public Enterprises' were well received and it was hoped that the research project on 'Budgeting and Accounting Practices in ASOSAI countries' will gain momentum.
The Governing Board was happy to note that the ASOSAI Journal 1990 was published by then. The Comptroller and Auditor of India, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Editors, expressed his gratefulness for the support and encouragement of the member countries, and requested for photographs, news items and contributions from all the member countries for enriching the contents of the Journal.
A Seminar on Government Auditing (Computer Auditing) was sponsored by the Board of Audit, Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A Seminar on EDP System -Controls and Audit was sponsored in Penang in November 1990, by JICA/ IDI. SAI/India held an International Training Programme on Audit of Rural Development in October and November 1990. Another on Audit of Receipts, commenced on 10th December 1990, will be over on 24th January 1991.
A meeting was held at 1.30 PM on 19th October 1990 in Room No.208 of Lancaster House, London to discuss the joint regional training activities for the ASOSAI Region, the Chief delegates from the SAIs of Australia, Bangla Desh, Canada, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka being present, alongwith the Director of Programmes IDI. Opening the discussions, Mr. Kenneth Dye traced the INTOSAI Initiative leading to joint regional training activities in the ASOSAI region, commended the utility of the seminars held in Manila and Kualalumpur. His suggestion that strategic type plans could be developed for the increased use of micro computers in SAIs upto 1993 was welcomed. The ADB, he stated, had consented to fund a 3 year programme for the ASOSAI region at about $ 4,40,000. The Director of Programmes IDI elaborated that there will be one activity every year. He mentioned that the 1991 programme was bound to include computer audit and that a CTIIDI initiative in Asia could be processed. The activity in computer aided audit is likely to be held in Jakarta and the activity on micro computers at Bangkok. Value for Money Auditing could be slated in 1993 at a suitable venue. Possibly, he mentioned that the ASOSAI could discuss and process long term IDI-ASOSAI plans at the Beijing Assembly. SAI India welcomed this forward step and looked forward to constructive participation by all SAIs in the Region. IDI had sent a message to all ASOSAI countries on 4th November 1990 in this regard promising fuller details, later.
The Fifth Assembly and the Fourth International Seminar of ASOSAI will be held in Beijing, the Capital of China from the 8th to 14th May, 1991. This forthcoming event will contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding and cooperation and amongst the participants through the exchange of academic views and experience in the field of public audit. The main theme is "the Role of SAIs in promoting effective management of public finance and investments". "Audit Mandate" Strategies and methodologies in improving public finance management", Auditing of Public Investments" and "Auditing of financial institutions and insurance companies" will be the sub-themes. The venue will be Kunlun Hotel in Beijing. English will be the working language with simultaneous interpretation facilities for six languages. The month of May is the best time of the year in Beijing. The Audit Administration of the Peoples' Republic of China had made elaborate arrangements for the delegates to visit scenic and historic sights of Beijing with the help of China International Tourism Agency. It is hoped that the delegates will carry happy memories back home, after attending this historic meet.