COA chief Cordoba takes over as ASEANSAI chairperson

MANILA, Philippines – The 7th ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Summit, held in Manila on Thursday, November 2, concluded successfully with the handover of the chairmanship to Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba. 

Cordoba presided over the second part of the Summit, which saw the approval of several significant agenda items, including the appointment of SAIs from various ASEAN countries to key roles for the years 2024-2025. These involve responsibilities such as auditing financial statements, leading committees and strategic planning. 

The discussions also included the appointment of SAI Indonesia as the ASEANSAI Secretariat for the period from 2024 to 2029, the status of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swedish National Audit Office, and the proposed budget for ASEANSAI activities in 2024-2025.

Cordoba expressed his appreciation for being appointed as the ASEANSAI Chair for 2024-2025 and commended the cooperative spirit that characterized the Summit. He recognized the contributions of his predecessors, the COA Secretariat, and the ASEANSAI Secretariat in ensuring the success of the event.

Cordoba also emphasized the challenges that SAIs have faced due to the recent pandemic, underscoring the importance of unity and resilience in addressing these challenges. He stressed the need for a unified strategic approach to advance the organization's goals.

The first part of the Summit was led by Dr. Khin Naing Oo, the previous Chair of ASEANSAI. During this segment, various agenda items were discussed, including annual reports, revisions to rules and procedures, research initiatives, and the handover of the Chairmanship to SAI Philippines.

Antonio Morales, Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, delivered a speech as the event's keynote speaker.