Fighting corruption vital to sustainable development in VN

Four inspection teams would be established to oversee the investigation and prosecution of serious and complicated corruption cases in eight provinces across the country, according to the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Fighting.

Speaking at the committee's fifth meeting yesterday in Ha Noi, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stressed the need to improve capacities and co-ordination among agencies responsible for corruption prevention.

The meeting was held to review the committee's performance in the first six months of this year and identify tasks for the remaining six months.


At the meeting, the committee's Permanent Vice Chairman Nguyen Ba Thanh reviewed the investigation and trial of major corruption cases, particularly 12 serious and complicated cases which are being dealt with under the direct instruction of the committee. He also highlighted several other cases that required investigation.

In the first six months of the year, there were more than 3,500 administrative inspections and 78,000 inspections in specific sectors, with over VND10 trillion (US$471 million) in bad money uncovered, the committee's report said.

Some 102 cases with 198 defendants accused of corruption were prosecuted nationwide.

Party General Secretary Trong, who is also chairman of the committee, said preventing corruption was vital to the sustainable development of the country and the regime.

The Party leader praised the committee's performance in the first six months of 2014, saying that it had performed its role and validated its position through practical activities. However, he also pointed out that besides positive progress, anti-corruption work also faced shortcomings that needed to be improved in the future.

Stopping corruption and wastefulness was an urgent and long-term task, requiring initiative from all Party members, Trong noted, adding that more focus should be put on completing Party regulations on the prevention and eradication of corruption, while continuing to adjust the legal system to better manage the problem.