HÀ NỘI — Some 20 government officials have received penalties for slacking off in managing the activities of Mường Thanh Group, chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung said.

The wrongdoings of Mường Thanh Group – one of the largest private hotel chains in Việt Nam – and streamlining of Hà Nội’s workforce were two major issues discussed at a meeting between chairman of the city’s People’s Committee and voters in Hoàn Kiếm District on Tuesday.

Answering voters’ concerns as to why investigations into Mường Thanh Group’s violations on land use rights were progressing slowly, chairman Chung said that after the city’s inspectorate framed charges against the group at the beginning of 2016, the city’s People’s Committee immediately transferred all legal documents to the police for further investigation.

The city’s Party Committee and People’s Committee constantly urged the police to collaborate with the Hà Nội People’s Procuracy to speed up the investigation so as to announce convictions and impose penalties, he said.

The city’s Party Committee has also conducted inspections to identify wrongdoings of officials at the ward and district levels in Thanh Trì and Hoàng Mai districts, he added.

“City has applied strict administrative sanctions on 20 officials with management responsibilities of Mường Thanh’s activities,” he said. “Legal proceedings will be carried out if more serious violations are detected.”

Citizens should respect the investigation process, he added.

Four charges were framed against the Mường Thanh Group last year -- illegal constructions, building constructions with height exceeding permitted levels, building in areas that are not allowed and projects failing to meet fire protection standards.

Voters also voiced concerns over the slow workforce streamlining process at State-own agencies in the city, to which chairman Chung said the city has completed workforce planning and proposal of positions for all its departments, agencies and political organisations.

If the proposal is implemented properly, by 2021, the city will have cut off 2.5 per cent of its current workforce in accordance with the order from the Party’s Politburo, he said.

The city gives priority to those who wish to retire prematurely, he added. Those with fake qualifications will be laid off, he said.

“Performance, capability and qualification will be the foundation for workforce streamlining from now until 2021,” he said.

The city has cut off some 8,000 Government officials from the workforce since 2015. It aims to remove another 7,400 in 2018. — VNS