VietNamNet Bridge – Chairman of the Government Office – Mr. Vu Duc Dam said at the government’s regular press conference yesterday, August 28 that the huge wages for officials of the four public utility enterprises in HCM City is contrary to the current regulations and should be handled.

HCMC: Wages of bosses of SOEs 41 times higher than employees

Minister Vu Duc Dam at the regular press conference yesterday.

As concluded previously by HCM City’s Vice Chairman, last year leaders of the four public utility companies, including the HCM City Public Lighting Company, the Urban Drainage Company, the Transport Work Company and Park and Green Trees Company received salary from VND584 million (nearly $20,000) to VND2.6 billion ($130,000) a year.

According to Dam, the current regulations stipulate that the highest wages for the Chairman of the Board of Members of State-owned enterprises is VND36 million ($1,200) a month or VND432 million a year. In case of doing good business, they can earn bonus but the amount must not exceed 1.5 times of the above wage.

"Thus, if the media reports accurately, the above payment of salary is wrong and it must be handled," Dam said, adding that the authority is assigned to the HCM City People’s Committee and the relevant ministries.

"Soon after receiving the information of the press on this issue, the Deputy Prime Minister has asked ministries and provinces to reports on the payroll at state-owned agencies and businesses to address this issue," Dam said.

Answering reporters’ questions about the salary of the PM compared with that of the above business officials, Dam said the PM is paid under the payroll for civil servants, totaling about VND15 million/month ($700).

L. Thu