Parliamentary deputies Friday highlighted the anomaly of most cases of corruption being exposed by the press and the public, and not by agencies wherein they actually happened.

Deputy Ho Quoc Dung from the central province of Binh Dinh said anti-corruption measures have not worked as expected because “we haven’t found out an effective mechanism to do it.

“Anti-corruption steering committees have been established at all levels but leaders of these agencies are working in disadvantaged conditions with no personnel, no real power, and no responsibility.”

Several delegates suggested that the committee be given more power to fulfill its responsibilities.

Ngo Van Hung from the northern province of Lao Cai noted: “The popular notion among people that they would quickly get signatures of approval from authorities if the request is accompanied by money has made the land fertile for corruption to develop.”

Regarding the waste of State assets, deputy Sung Thi Chu from northern Yen Bai Province called wastage and ostentatiousness a chronic disease.

Ineffective investment, tardy progress of construction projects, and suspended plans are also signs of waste, the delegates said.

Nguyen Thi Hong Ha from Hanoi cited an example of waste with Ho Chi Minh City’s Hoang Hoa Tham Bridge project. It was initially planned to cost VND19 billion (US$1.2 million) with a construction period of 16 months.

However, the project had not been completed as of March this year, ten years on, and the slow progress has pushed total investment up to VND120 billion ($7.3 million).

Reported by Xuan Toan