SDGs, Public Financial Governance in Vietnam: ACFI3210

This report analyzes the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and public financial governance, specifically focusing on Vietnam. The report begins by identifying key aspects of the Busan Partnership on aid effectiveness related to improved government financial governance and the SDGs that benefit from these improvements. It then explores how development partners can identify system weaknesses and applies these diagnostic tools to Vietnam, highlighting its current areas of weakness. The report further discusses the benefits, drawbacks, and risks associated with adopting International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in Vietnam. Finally, it outlines the support development partners should provide to assist Vietnam in implementing the proposed reforms, offering a comprehensive overview of the country's journey towards improved financial governance and its contribution to the SDGs.

Running Head: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
NAME OF THE STUDENT
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY
AUTHORS NOTE

1Sustainable Development Goals
Table of Contents
Answer to the question 1............................................................................................................2
Ownership related to realizing their development priorities..................................................2
Focusing on the results...........................................................................................................2
Fostering Partnership.............................................................................................................2
Transparency and accountability............................................................................................2
Answer to the question 2............................................................................................................3
Answer to the question 3............................................................................................................3
Answer to the question 4............................................................................................................4
Answer to the question 5............................................................................................................4
Answer to the question 6............................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................7

2Sustainable Development Goals
Answer to the question 1
Busan has broadened the scope of the talks between the stakeholders by giving the
stakeholders the power to negotiate especially those hailing from southern providers,
parliamentarians and also those from the private sector. Busan has further promoted human
rights, democratic ownership related to the development plans and activities. It fostered
gender equality and effective institutions (Oxfamamerica.org, 2020). Busan has also went
into taking different initiatives and therefore agreed to restructure the development
cooperation around the four principles, which are:-
Ownership related to realizing their development priorities
This enables the developing countries to realize that they have to recognize and
design their own development.
Focusing on the results
This means that they had to keep their focus on the matters that requires immediate
attention for example they need to have a strong measures to eradicate poverty, reduction of
inequality and make sure that there are enough resources to meet the requirements.
Fostering Partnership
It further promotes mutual learning as well as foster trust among different partners.
Transparency and accountability
Bringing on more transparency of work in order to improve and foster better service
delivery and also enhance mutual responsibilities.

3Sustainable Development Goals
Answer to the question 2
The powerful tool for the implementation of the SGDs are the budget and the
procurement of public. The study suggested on the Slovak Republic that the strategies related
to the SDG can steer budget and also the allocation for spends. Therefore, this kind of result
based allocations will lead to better managing of the financial mechanism. However, the
linkage of the national budget and the SDG requires the adequate data as well as the
monitoring systems in place. The studies have suggested that there are many countries that
are yet in the early stages of the application of green and gender budgeting and also that no
countries has been able to get the holistic SDG approach towards their budgeting. For
example, French government is still discussing to further align these SDGs in order to
improve the overall impact of the public finances (Oecd.org, 2020).
Answer to the question 3
In order to make a contribution in the achievement of the development outcomes
effective accountability of public financial management and accountability is essential.
Increasing amount of assistance is getting provided to the government bank in terms of loans
and grants. The strong aid instrument such as budgetary support are provided in the country
which has lower and weaker public financial systems management in order to reduce the
poverty as an policy objective. There has been a widespread fact that the parallel system
might shows weaknesses in the core of the systems which will include the imposition of the
additional costs and removal of the skilled staff from the government system (Singh et al
2018). There has been evidences of the measures that can be apply to the entire system,
which can provide a platform for the longer term and the sustainable improvements in the
public financial management system. The aim is to provide the inventory related to the short-
term remedial measures for the development agencies in order to perceive the weakness in

4Sustainable Development Goals
public financial management system by different development agencies. This is done in order
to classify them in terms of their impact as per the short-term or the long-term improvements
in government system (Oleribe and Taylor-Robinson 2016).
Answer to the question 4
The current problems related to the accounting in the Vietnam includes the need for
the qualified Vietnamese accountants. The introduction of the International Accounting and
Auditing standards in order to provide a guidelines that will be at par as the IAS. The
strengthening of the accounting profession and the Vietnam accounting association and also
the government intervention into the matters of financial reporting and accounting matters
(Fee, Heizmann and Gray 2017).
Answer to the question 5
The chosen country is Vietnam. It has been noted that Vietnam is in early stages of
adoption of the IPSAS-type standards. In 2011, there has been development of the plan by the
Vietnam association of accountants and auditors which promotes the IPSAS to the
Mof .However, it was not clear that the system will get converted to IPSAS. However, in
2013 it has been declared by the world bank that Vietnam is going through a financial reform
process, however, there has been a lack of transparency there and therefore, it has been made
mandate to the Vietnam, to follow an accrual standards for reporting government finances.
(Accaglobal.com, 2020)
In the year 2016, it has been noted by the Asian Development Bank that there has
been a lack of progress in the developing public sector. There has been several differences
between the IFRS and the VAS which is the Vietnam Accounting Standards for the private
sector. Infact the VAS use to make use of historical value principle for the valuation of the

5Sustainable Development Goals
assets. It has been declared by the bank that the Mof shall be releasing the VAS that will be
closer to the IAS. The study concluded that the Vietnamese government has introduced a
reform in the public accounting which means that the new accounting regime will now meet
the requirements of the budget (Gunter 2019). However, it provides very little information on
financial position and information related to that. Therefore, it has to be concluded that the
Vietnam is not in the position to apply the IPSAS completely. However, at present they might
have a modified IPSAS. It focusses on gaining more public sector management reform along
with that the training of the highly qualified professionals and also the improvement of the
accounting systems are required in order to fully apply the IPSAS in any country.
Answer to the question 6
The World Bank’s country partnership strategy has directly supported the Vietnam’s
SEDS 2011-20 and SEDP 2011-15. The country partnership strategy will however focusses
on supporting the investments and policies that are aimed at increasing the sustainability
development for the Vietnam, strengthening the Vietnam’s economy in order to prove them
to be more competitive in regional as well as on global level (World Bank, 2020). However
along with the World bank, the other development body which is the Swiss Economic
development Cooperation (SECO) which is extending its hands in supporting the Vietnam in
three major areas which is the strengthening their macroeconomic framework conditions and
also the financial sector of the infrastructure, small and medium sized enterprises to convert
into being international and to further promote them into being so, and the implementation of
the sustainable trade policies. The requirement of the better management for the purpose of
the valuation of the results of the development projects as well as the government plans are
thereby acknowledged, however for having a strong and sound management there is a need
for the cost effective, simple, easy to manage and learn and analyze kind of system. This will

6Sustainable Development Goals
enable to realize how the measures are working and also one can get the idea of the problems
that the system is facing. (Oecd.org, 2020)

7Sustainable Development Goals
References
Accaglobal.com. (2020). [online] Available at:
https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/Technical/pubsect/pi-IPSAS-
implementation-current-status-and-challenges.pdf [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].
Fee, A., Heizmann, H. and Gray, S.J., 2017. Towards a theory of effective cross-cultural
capacity development: the experiences of Australian international NGO expatriates in
Vietnam. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(14), pp.2036-2061.
Gunter, B.G., 2019. Financing for Development in Vietnam after IDA Graduation.
Oecd.org. (2020). [online] Available at: http://www.oecd.org/dac/aft/VietnamCaseStudy.pdf
[Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].
Oecd.org. (2020). [online] Available at:
https://www.oecd.org/dac/effectiveness/HLF4%20proceedings%20entire%20doc%20for
%20web.pdf [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].
Oleribe, O.O. and Taylor-Robinson, S.D., 2016. Before sustainable development goals
(SDG): why Nigeria failed to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs). The Pan
African medical journal, 24.
Oxfamamerica.org. (2020). [online] Available at:
https://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/oa4/busan-in-a-nutshell.pdf [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].
Singh, G.G., Cisneros-Montemayor, A.M., Swartz, W., Cheung, W., Guy, J.A., Kenny, T.A.,
McOwen, C.J., Asch, R., Geffert, J.L., Wabnitz, C.C. and Sumaila, R., 2018. A rapid
assessment of co-benefits and trade-offs among Sustainable Development Goals. Marine
Policy, 93, pp.223-231.

8Sustainable Development Goals
Van de Walle, D. and Mu, R., 2007. Fungibility and the flypaper effect of project aid: Micro-
evidence for Vietnam. The World Bank.
World Bank. (2020). Vietnam Reform and Development Forum. [online] Available at:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/speech/2018/12/05/vietnam-reform-and-development-
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