Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has praised sectors and localities for their initial results in implementing the Party resolution on combating corruption and the Law on Corruption Prevention and Control and asked them to make breakthroughs in this fight in 2008.
Mr Dung, who is also head of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control, made the statement at a national conference on the fight against corruption in the northern provinces, held in Hanoi on December 22. He extolled procuracy agencies for their efforts in launching investigations in time and bringing to light key graft scandals, thus building up the people’s trust in the Party and State’s determination to clean up this phenomenon.
However, the Government leader pointed out the seriousness and complexity of corruption which is reported in various areas, particularly in land use and management, capital construction investment, project management and budget spending. According to Mr Dung, the underlying cause lies in the inconsistency in areas of policies and mechanisms, creating loopholes for opportunists to capitalise on and make fortunes illegally. In addition, he said several Party organisations and heads of organisations are not aware enough of the dangers of corruption and wastefulness, while some sectors and localities do not show their resolve to eliminate corrupt behaviour, particularly in cases associated with key officials.
“We will not be able to develop unless corruption is rooted out,” stressed the PM. “The Government has identified anti-corruption as one of the five key tasks to be carried out in 2008.”
The PM highlighted major solutions for preventing corruption in 2008, focusing on perfecting institutions, mechanisms and policies and stepping up administrative reform in such areas as land management, capital construction investment, project management and budget spending. In addition to ideological education, he said it is necessary to improve the quality and efficiency of inspections, audits, investigations and trials to strictly deal with corrupt officials, regardless of their social status.
According to the Government leader, accountability on the part of the heads of State organisations and offices will be taken into account if they do not fulfil their tasks. He asked cities and provinces to enhance the capacity building of their steering boards for anti-corruption and bring into play the role of people, the fatherland front, mass organisations and the media to combat corruption. Another solution is to better implement the campaign “Studying and Following President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example”, alongside improving the living conditions of officials and State workers.
It was reported at the conference that 584 corruption cases have been detected in 2007, involving 1,299 figures and causing a loss of VND865 billion. About 360 cases involving 843 officials have been brought to court.
In its report, the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control said that in 2008 it will continue to embark on goals set in a resolution adopted at the third plenum of the 10th Party Central Committee. Accordingly, Vietnam will curb and gradually prevent corruption and wastefulness and create a drastic change in the fight aimed at maintaining political stability, socio-economic development, building up people’s trust, and building a strong and transparent State apparatus with disciplined officials.
Source: VOV