HCM City Party Secretary Nguyễn Thiện Nhân speaks at a meeting on Wednesday to review the efforts to prevent and uncover corruption and wastage. — Photo dantri.com.vn

HCM City — HCM City Party Secretary Nguyễn Thiện Nhân has expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts to combat corruption and squander last year.

He told a meeting on Wednesday to review the efforts to prevent and uncover corruption and wastage: “During the whole year related authorities found only one case of violation at the medical examination centre and another at the Tân Thuận Industrial Park. The efforts must be improved.”

He instructed authorities to clearly define bribery and squander and send to the Party Committee by next quarter.

“From now on, related authorities must report every quarter on the fight against and prevention of graft and waste to the city Party Committee and apprise the media.

“This year city authorities should focus on issuing Decision 1374 on how to proceed with information about individuals and groups who violate the law and Party regulations.”

Last year the city prosecuted graft cases involving a total of VNĐ42 billion (US$1.85 million), but only 4 per cent of the amount has been recovered by the city.

“Justice authorities must recover [stolen public assets] for the treasury. We cannot fight bribery and squander if we do not place any responsibility on related authorities.”

Last year the city had undertaken several important activities but achieved very little from them, he said.

The first was listing the assets of 37,000 senior government staff, but no one had been found falsifying information.

Nhân said: “Thousands of complaints and denunciations were sent by the public last year, but related authorities did not find any evidence of bribery or squander. That is impossible.

“The city also set up 43 task forces to review and assess the responsibility of 63 chiefs of various departments, industries and companies, but no violation was found.” — VNS