HÀ NỘI — The Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption held its 17th session on Wednesday, chaired by Party General Secretary, President and head of the committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng, to look back on its work in 2019 and outline tasks for 2020. 

Looking back at 2019 and the time since the 12th National Party Congress in 2016, the committee agreed there have been strong advances in the anti-corruption fight with more evident results, winning approval of cadres, Party members and the people.

Corruption has been curbed and is declining, contributing to maintaining political stability, promoting socio-economic development and enhancing the country’s position and prestige in the international arena.

Party General Secretary Trọng said the steering committee had focused its work on completing institutions of socio-economic management and corruption prevention and combat, aiming towards making it impossible to commit corruption.

Last year, the Party Central Committee and its Politburo, Secretariat issued nearly 30 documents on strengthening the Party and political system and preventing and fighting corruption, the National Assembly passed 18 laws, 20 resolutions; and the Government and the Prime Minister issued 100 decrees, 119 resolutions, 37 decisions and 33 directives to enhance the effectiveness of State management in social life, helping prevent negative phenomena and corruption.

Since the beginning of the tenure, the Party Central Committee and its Politburo, Secretariat have issued nearly 80 documents, the National Assembly has passed 63 laws and ordinances, 66 resolutions; and the Government and the Prime Minister have issued 611 decrees, 523 resolutions, and 197 decisions to strengthen corruption prevention.

New breakthroughs

Inspection, auditing, investigation, prosecution and trial work have been intensified, resulting in new breakthroughs in discovering and handling corruption.

More than 420 Party members have been punished for corruption or intentionally violating regulations. Three Party organisations and more than 20 officials under the management of the Party Central Committee, including five members and former members of the Party Central Committee, were disciplined in 2019.

Since the beginning of the 12th tenure, more than 90 officials under the management of the Party Central Committee, including 21 members and former members of the Party Central Committee (two Politburo members), and 22 officers of general ranks in the armed forces have been disciplined.

The investigation and handling of corruption and economic cases have gotten stricter and more effective. In 2019, the steering committee supervised and instructed the handling of 67 legal cases and 55 other cases. It is noteworthy that 10 serious cases of public concern were brought to first-instance court.

Since the start of the tenure, the committee has instructed the handling of 107 legal cases and 90 other cases, with 53 cases put on trial.

Removing obstacles and shortcomings

Delegates at the session agreed that the steering committee should focus its instruction on improving weak links in the anti-corruption fight such as appraisal and valuation of assets, recovery of assets in corruption and economic cases. They also urged intensifying the prevention of petty corruption and pushing actions at ministries, agencies and localities.

Many highlighted positive changes in educational and communication activities on fighting corruption, with agencies releasing information on issues of public concern. The Việt Nam Fatherland Front and its member organisations continued to perform their role of supervision and social criticism, and the media promoted communication campaigns with articles, columns and forums on corruption.

Party General Secretary Trọng said this outcome came from the high resolve of the highest to the lowest levels, united leadership, appropriate methods and facilitated co-ordination among agencies. The support of the public and the engagement of the mass media were also important factors.

He said that the organisation of Party congresses at all levels in 2020 is not a reason to relax efforts to fight corruption. On the contrary, the fight should be intensified to serve the 13th National Party Congress in 2021.

According to the Party leader, the focus of the work ahead is to continue perfecting institutions for socio-economic management and anti-corruption efforts and to research and propose plans for corruption prevention and combat in draft documents for the 13th National Party Congress.

He asked the steering committee to press on with the inspection and auditing of sensitive fields of public concern, detect and punish officials and Party members violating the law, and intensify the inspection of anti-corruption performance by top position holders in Party committees, Party organisations and administrations.

Trọng also urged accelerating the handling of serious corruption and economic cases, naming 10 cases of public concern to be settled in 2020, such as the violation of land management regulations at State-run beer company Sabeco in District 1, HCM City, and the violation of regulations on State asset management and use related to the project at No 8-12 Lê Duẩn Street in HCM City’s District 1, among others.

The steering committee was also required to create stronger and more consistent changes in the fight against corruption at the grass-roots level and effectively curb petty corruption in the time ahead. — VNS