http://english.vietnamnet.vn/politics/2006/10/621316/
663 state agencies spend over VND4tril for freebies
14:56' 11/10/2006 (GMT+7)
Vietnam currently has more than 31,000 state cars.
VietNamNet Bridge – Some 663 state organisations have spent more than VND4,000 billion (US$250 million) to buy presents, said Chairman of the National Assembly’s Legal Committee Vu Duc Khien.
Mr Khien quoted the above figure at the national conference on anti-corruption and waste to show that six years after the ordinance on thrift practice had taken effect, statistics about waste were still alarming.
“Not many countries in the world dare to spend like this in presents. In Singapore, presents worth over SG$100 must be declared,” he said.
New leaders, new cars
The report reviewing six years of implementation of the ordinance on thrift practice presented by Mr Khien at the above conference described a panorama with many black parts.
Vietnam currently has more than 31,000 state cars. Statistics by December 2001 showed that the number of redundant state cars in 53 provinces and cities was 424 and over 100 at 14 ministries and sectors. The reason is newly appointed leaders often buy new cars, not use the ones used by their predecessors.
Another sign of wasteful use of public assets is the use of telephone services, both fixed and mobile. Mr Khien said that there are officials who make phone calls worth tens of millions of dong every month, which are paid by the state budget.
State agencies also spend a lot of money to buy presents or to organise meetings. 663 state agencies have bought presents worth more than VND4,000 billion.
Capital construction – still a problem
Mr Khien quoted the latest report of the government about citizen complaints, which said that 252 capital construction projects in 51 provinces and cities acquire over 27,000ha of land but just one-third of the area is really being used.
Ineffective investment is also a problem. Explaining this situation, Mr Khien quoted an official of the Ministry of Planning and Investment who spoke at a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee: “Each official who assumes leadership in provinces and cities wants to have a project of his own instead of pursuing projects of his predecessors. That’s why there are many incomplete projects”.
“Every province and city wants to build its own cement factory, sugar plant and deep-water port. There are many plants that don’t have material to work with. In 1998-1999, the sugar plant of Binh Thuan province incurred losses of up to VND20 billion”.
Waste is also in slow disbursement of capital, Mr Khien said. For example, only 36% of committed official development assistance (ODA) capital was disbursed.
Overseas trips to learn experience in anti-waste are anti-productive
According to Mr Khien, Vietnam has sent many officials abroad to learn about anti-corruption and anti-waste but nobody can define how effective they are.
Squandering in land, office and public house management was also mentioned. VND587 billion was spent in repairing offices. State agencies also lease 20,922 sq.m of office.
“In anti-waste, it is important that state agencies and officials are models to promote the habit of thrift practice in society,” the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Legal Committee said.
Van Anh