LookAtVietnam – The prime minister has approved a resolution on the national strategy to prevent and combat corruption to 2020, which clarifies the goals of preventing and minimising conditions and opportunities for corruption. Accordingly, the range of state secrets will be narrowed.

The strategy identifies programmes and plans to prevent and fight corruption from now to 2020, with three phases.

The strategy clearly acknowledges that Vietnam’s renovation is facing many challenges, including corruption. The Party has issued policies to combat corruption but the situation is still complicated, especially in land use, construction investment, equitisation, management and use of state assets and finances.

Corruption is a latent source of interest clashes, social resistance, widens the gap between the rich and the poor and is a big hurdle for the country’s renovation and the existence of the regime.

To mimimise conditions and opportunities for corruption in policy-making, building and executing laws, the strategy gives solutions to strengthen publicity and transparency, as follows:

Firstly, checking and amending the laws on state secrets towards narrowing the range of state secrets.

Secondly, perfecting the regulations on public missions, government officials, improving the quality of the implementation of public missions to prevent misuse of authority.

Assignments and decentralisation will be made clear, with specific regulations on the functions and authority of each level of management and the responsibility of each position, especially the responsibility of chiefs.

Completing and seriously implementing rules on recruitment, appointment, re-appointment, and arranging government officials.

Implementing and perfecting the mechanism on the accountability of government officers, especially senior officials; the mechanism on dismissal, resignation, and temporary suspension of heads when corruption is reported in their organisations.

The strategy also mentions salary reforms to ensure that government officers have substantial incomes.

Thirdly, completing the economic management mechanism, building an equal, transparent business environment to rub out corruption in relations between enterprises and government bodies.

Business and occupational associations will be enabled to participate in the policy and law building process to deal with gaps in policies and mechanisms which can cause corruption.

Strictly dealing with corruption in business, tenders, auctions, trade fraud; publicising the names of violators.

Setting up auction centres in regions to serve concentrated procurement and implementing public auctions of government assets.

Fourthly, improving the effects of inspection, supervision, auditing, investigation, prosecution and judgment in detecting and tackling corruption.

Amending laws towards enforcing fines, exempting criminal duties or reducing punishments for those who are guilty of corruption but voluntarily confess.

Completing the rules on dealing with assets attained by corruption. Severely punishing government officers in corruption prevention agencies who commit corruption.

The final solution is raising the awareness of the whole of society about the need to combat corruption and involving every one in this task.

The prime minister has instructed related agencies to submit periodical reports (every three months, annual reports and reports after each phase) to learn experience from each period.

Le Nhung