Finance: Reform is key solution for anti-corruption

	President affirms continued anti-corruption efforts
	Vietnam determined to fight corruption
	Enhancing anti-corruption in the Finance

Minimizing the contact between people, businesses and civil servants is the best solution for anti-corruption in financial units. Photo: H.V.

Handling 1,238 offending civil servants

According to the statistics from the Ministry of Finance, by the end of 2017, the whole sector has organized 427 classes to propagate and disseminate law on anti-corruption law and strictly publicized the Party’s policies and guidelines on anti-corruption to over 20,872 turns of officers, civil servants and officials. Thereby, contributing to raising the sense of responsibility and awareness of cadres, civil servants and officials on anti-corruption.

The development and compliance with code of conduct of cadres and civil servants in the whole Finance sector were inspected in 630 units (General Department of Taxation, 355 inspections, General Department of Customs 173 inspections, State Treasury 102 inspections). The inspection results have contributed to promptly detecting and rectifying the administrative discipline and rule and raising the morality of public duties of cadres and civil servants. Most cadres and civil servants of the Finance sector strictly abided by the code of conduct and the code of ethics in the performance of duties with the absence of the authoritarian attitude and the bossiness which harassed relevant organizations, individuals and enterprises.

The enhancement of inspection and examination has promptly detected and handled many violations, and recovered money and property for the State; and transferred cases of crime or corruption to an investigating agency for handling according to regulations, especially in the tax and customs fields. Tax authorities have transferred 2,553 cases of tax violations to a police agency. The Customs authority has prosecuted 44 cases; transferred 48 cases to the investigating police agency, market management agency, forest protection agency and provincial people's committees. Internal inspections and examinations have been regularly carried out, contributing to the timely detecting and handling of violations by officials and civil servants and strengthening the management and anti-corruption. Through internal inspections, 1,238 civil servants have been handled for breach of process and operation; 1,196 ones were surveyed, 22 were reprimanded, 11 were warned, 3 were downgraded on salary , 1 resigned, and 5 were forced to leave their jobs.

Especially, the Ministry of Finance has continued to guide and apply many measures to promote its role and facilitate social – political organizations, press agencies and organizations to join anti-corruption. The media and press agencies have coordinated to propagate and disseminate law on anti-corruption law; participated in sociological surveys related to anti-corruption. Organizations and press agencies under the Ministry of Finance have actively carried out propaganda and dissemination of Party's policy and law on anti-corruption.

Changes in awareness

Despite positive results, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Finance Tran Van Vuong said that the anti-corruption still faces some certain difficulties. Some provisions of the Law on anti-corruption and sub-law documents have disclosed shortcomings in actual implementation such as, the declaration of assets, control of income; the handling of the responsibility of the head; work movement; and the accountability of those with positions and powers are unspecific. Moreover, some agencies and units have not implemented the information and reporting regime on anti-corruption well (reporting later than the deadline, the content of the report is still insufficient as prescribed)

In 2018, the situation of corruption will still be complicated on a large scale. The policy of the Party and the State is to further promote the detection and handling of corruption, especially the large corruption cases that have been found and to be handled strictly and publicly. In that context, the Ministry of Finance has also developed specific solutions to overcome the shortcomings and inadequacies to make a strong change, prevent and repel this evil in the whole sector.

According to Vuong, firstly, all levels must strengthen the leadership and direction and promote the role and responsibility of the party committees, the heads of the committees, the agencies, organizations and units in the anti-corruption. Accelerating the dissemination polices and laws on anti-corruption, creating a strong, positive and unified change from awareness to action of cadres and civil servants; raising sense of responsibility of cadres and civil servants for anti-corruption.

In addition, it is necessary to continue reviewing, amending, supplementing and finalizing financial management mechanisms and policies to ensure transparency and publicity in order for requirements on anti-corruption and anti-wastefulness, especially the norms, standards and regimes on the management and use of state budget, land use management, head quarters, public houses and corporate finance. Most importantly, strengthening the administrative reform, improving the investment and business environment and enhancing national competitiveness. Accordingly, expanding e-invoices nationwide; accelerating online tax payment, online tax refund, inspection before tax refund; and implementing risk management in tax inspection and examination.

The inspection and examination of the anti-corruption should be associated with internal inspection and examination plan. The inspection, supervision and investigation of areas such as state budget management, public asset management, construction investment, SOE equitisation, tax and Customs, must be enhanced. Especially, the inspection and examination within the finance sector need to be focused in order to prevent corruptions and negative acts in the management scope of each unit and promptly detect and strictly handle negative acts, corruptions and law violations.

Another field where the units have done well and need to continue to promote, is to maintain and use effectively the hotline for the head to catch and deal with violations in the performance of public duties of civil servants in the sector, and to guide the strict handling of complaints about corruptions or signs of corruption in the units under the Ministry.

Equity, publicity and transparency in personnel work, especially in the recruitment, planning, appointment, transfer, evaluation, reward and discipline should be better implemented besides review, evaluation and completion of regulations, process and policies on rotation, transfer and appointment of officials and civil servants. The units also needs to focus on building a contingent of clean and strong cadres and civil servants who have sufficient political knowledge and professional ethics and have good professional skills and willingness to fulfil assigned tasks in the new period.

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Finally, strengthening the coordination and exchange of information between units in the finance sector and other competent agencies such as investigating police agency, court, state audit and the State Bank to promptly detect cases of violations in financial management, asset management, performance of obligations to the State budget for timely prevention and handling.