The International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on Public Debt (WGPD), led by the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of the Philippines, and the World Bank teamed up to successfully organize a series of events as part of the ”Debt Management Auditors Week” from 14 to 18 June 2021. The objective of the events is to enhance outreach to auditors and strengthen debt management.

The first event was a five-day virtual training on Regional Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) Workshop for Debt Managers and External Auditors. The training was designed to provide an understanding of the rationale, scope, coverage, and application of the revised DeMPA methodology to debt management practitioners and external auditors. WGPD member-SAIs Brazil, Egypt, North Macedonia, and Bhutan participated in the training.

Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairperson Sandra S. Montano paid a courtesy call to Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo on 2 June 2021.

Auditing public debt in a crisis (COVID-19 considerations and the Public Debt Auditor’s experience) was the focus of discussions at the annual meeting of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on Public Debt (WGPD). The virtual meetings conducted through Zoom were facilitated by the Philippine Commission on Audit (COA) as Chairman of the INTOSAI WGPD.

Around 38 member countries participated in the meetings that were held in two batches on 19 and 20 May 2021 for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Officials from SAIs Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lithuania, Moldova, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Seychelles, Maldives, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and Fiji were part of the first batch while SAIs Ecuador, Chile, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Gabon, Portugal, Austria, Egypt, Northern Macedonia, Zambia, Finland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Korea were part of the second batch. Representatives from SAI France attended as observers.