Waste is no longer just an economic issue - it’s a political one. Vietnam takes a comprehensive approach to tackle it.
General Secretary To Lam recently distilled years of lessons in combating corruption, waste, and misconduct into 10 guiding words: “Kiên trì - Quyết tâm - Đồng thuận - Toàn diện - Đột phá” (Perseverance – Determination – Consensus – Comprehensiveness – Breakthrough). A succinct yet powerful call to action.
Over multiple Party Congresses, the fight against corruption has been deemed a central and critical mission in Party building, yielding significant progress.
Since early 2021, more than 2,000 Party organizations and over 97,400 Party members have been disciplined. Among them, 2,300 were penalized for corruption-related offenses. Additionally, 174 senior officials under Central management faced disciplinary action, with many prosecuted. These numbers reaffirm the Party’s unwavering principle: no forbidden zones, no exceptions.
General Secretary To Lam.
Yet, experience shows that combating corruption cannot be separated from addressing waste.
In 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report on public investment management in low-income countries. It revealed an alarming statistic: on average, 34% of public investment globally is wasted due to cost overruns, poor project quality, and weak execution. In some low-income countries, this figure exceeds 53%. In other words, for every $2–3 spent, up to $1.5 is lost to inefficiency.
Waste, therefore, is not an isolated issue - it is a global challenge to sustainable development.
Globally, public sector waste often occurs alongside corruption and misconduct, draining budgets, undermining public trust, and squandering developmental opportunities.
Vietnam is no exception. Focusing solely on corrupt acts while neglecting waste - especially in delayed, underperforming projects - will continue to erode development resources, regardless of how strict disciplinary measures are.
We must fully recognize that waste isn’t limited to financial losses. It includes wasted time when projects drag on for years, lost opportunities when resources are tied up in ineffective ventures, and, most gravely, wasted public trust when incomplete projects damage the credibility of institutions.
In this sense, waste is not merely an economic issue - it is a socio-political one. It directly affects development momentum and social cohesion.
In reality, waste in public investment, asset procurement, land management, and sluggish or ineffective projects can amount to hundreds of trillions of VND (tens of billions of USD), affecting not only the state but also the people.
An audit revealed that losses from the Bach Mai 2 and Viet Duc 2 hospital projects alone exceeded 1,200 billion VND (around 50 million USD). More concerning is how such waste delays the nation’s development.
Today, the mindset around waste prevention is shifting toward proactive prevention. This includes institutional reforms, tightened discipline, transparent processes, and power oversight. Importantly, anti-waste measures must not become obstacles to development or induce fear-driven inaction among public officials.
Only by punishing violations while protecting those who act boldly for public interest can the state machinery function smoothly and effectively. In this light, preventing waste is not just about saving money - it’s about safeguarding every opportunity for national advancement.
The 13th Party Congress marked key achievements in combating corruption, waste, and misconduct. From these lessons, General Secretary To Lam summarized the following 10-character formula - comprising five key concepts - designed for clarity and execution:
As preparations for the 14th Party Congress accelerate, waste prevention must become a strategic pillar of development thinking - tied closely to improving growth quality and efficient resource use. If waste isn’t controlled, even increased investment will be undermined from within.
First, public investment management must be restructured around efficiency. Project approval and selection must be subjected to stricter investment discipline.
Second, the focus must shift from post-facto checks to proactive prevention. Waste often results not from criminal intent but from weak oversight, lack of responsibility, or avoidance. Oversight by citizens, the Fatherland Front, the press, and independent audit bodies must be enhanced.
Third, we must clearly distinguish between waste caused by personal gain and that arising from calculated risks in innovation. Anti-waste efforts must protect officials who take bold actions in good faith. If every misstep is penalized and every decision becomes a disciplinary risk, stagnation and indecision - a more dangerous form of waste - will ensue. Evaluation systems must assess intent, outcomes, and holistic impact - not just isolated results.
Fourth, anti-waste efforts should be a metric for national governance and Party leadership capacity. Beyond punishing cases, we must measure waste reduction, resource liberation, and development opportunities created. Waste prevention must be recognized as a key indicator of sustainable development - not just financial management.
The 14th Congress faces the task of charting a new development vision amid shrinking resources and limited room for extensive growth.
To develop both quickly and sustainably, we must preserve institutional discipline and accountability, translate political will into action, build broad consensus, implement integrated resource management solutions, and deliver bold reform in thinking and execution.
In that light, combating waste is not merely a management issue - it is a developmental imperative and a defining measure of leadership and national governance in this new era.
Perseverance: Stay committed to Party leadership and the unyielding stance of fighting corruption, waste, and misconduct without exceptions. Build strong institutions to make wrongdoing impossible. Apply strict consequences so no one dares to offend. Promote a culture of integrity and ensure fair living conditions so no one wants or needs to offend.
Determination: Political will must translate into concrete, bold action. Difficulties must not deter progress.
Consensus: Unity within the Party, across the political system, and among the people is essential. Functional agencies must coordinate closely. Most importantly, a “people’s defense” must be established - trust, feedback, and citizen engagement are the true measures of the Party’s leadership legitimacy.
Comprehensiveness: Combine construction and prevention with detection and punishment. Prevention remains fundamental and long-term, while detection is critical and catalytic. The scope must include corruption, misconduct, and waste; cover central and local levels; address both state and non-state sectors; and consider both domestic and international contexts.
Breakthrough: Innovations in both thought and practice must be timely, well-informed, and people-focused. The nation’s interest must always come first, serving national development, defense, security, and prosperity. A development mandate and leadership benchmark for a new era
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