Photo for illustration. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Government Inspectorate together with the UN Development Fund (UNDP) held a seminar in Hà Nội Wednesday to assess corruption risks in the country’s road transport sector.

Held as part of the UNDP’s project on promoting a fair business environment in ASEAN and sponsored by the UK Prosperity Fund, the seminar reviewed the current situation and anti-corruption regulations, while collecting feedback on draft research on corruption in road transport.

Opening the seminar, Trần Văn Trường, Deputy Chief Inspector at the Ministry of Transport, said the Government directed the implementation of several measures to improve the country’s business climate, particularly in road transport.

The disbursement of investment in transport projects, however, was low, partly due to corruption, which raised costs, restricted investment opportunities, and increased social inequality, he added.  

Transport is a key sector in Việt Nam’s economic development and of importance to domestic and foreign investors, but it also faces a high risk of corruption, according to the inspector .

Diana Torres, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Việt Nam, spoke about its technical assistance for the building of Việt Nam’s revised Anti-Corruption Law, which took effect on July 1 last year.

She said that to promote an initiative on integrity between businesses and the Government in the country, the UNDP had joined the Inspectorate and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to carry out various activities, including seminars and forums that enabled firms to make recommendations to amend the law for better administrative procedures.

Introducing research on assessing corruption risks in Việt Nam’s road transport sector, UNDP expert Nguyễn Việt Hoàng attributed the risks to the sector’s complexities, overlapping regulations, and lack of transparency and publicity in administrative procedures, among other factors.

He recommended the Government and Transport Ministry continue completing the legal framework on road traffic, improve State management of the sector, and overhaul procedures for licensing, inspection, and sanctions for violations.

Efforts to improve the capacity of public managers and law abidance in the field by citizens and businesses were also necessary, he added. — VNS