Vietnam's Central Commission for Internal Affairs on Sept. 17 announced the results of a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption, Wastefulness and Negative Practices, commonly referred to as the Central Steering Committee.

Dang Van Dung, deputy head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs, said the meeting was chaired by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, who also heads the steering committee.

Following discussions, the committee's Standing Committee concluded that since its 30th meeting on June 18, Party committees and organizations, government agencies and members of the steering committee had carried out assigned tasks seriously and achieved a number of positive results.

Among them, the Government Party Committee, ministries, agencies and local authorities have been reviewing and addressing long-delayed projects and surplus public buildings and land resulting from the restructuring of the state apparatus, in line with the steering committee's instructions.

Ministries, agencies and local authorities added 407 delayed or long-stalled projects to the 751 monitoring system, bringing the total to 4,899. Another 1,333 projects were fully resolved, raising the total number dealt with so far to 2,684, or 54.8%.

Local authorities also reviewed 4,860 projects facing difficulties or obstacles that did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the 751 system. Of these, 3,156 have been resolved.

Regarding surplus buildings and land following the government restructuring, ministries, agencies and local authorities completed the handling of another 3,418 properties and put them back into use, bringing the total resolved so far to 11,573.

Party committees and organizations under the central government, as well as provincial and municipal Party committees, have also directed and supervised the implementation of five Politburo regulations on controlling power and preventing corruption and other negative practices.

Party committees and organizations under the central government conducted 90 inspections and supervisory reviews covering 1,358 subordinate Party committees, Party organizations and their leaders.

Since the steering committee's 30th meeting, it has also monitored and directed the handling of 20 criminal cases and six other matters, with investigations and proceedings generally progressing according to schedule.

Authorities brought additional charges against 27 suspects in four cases, concluded investigations into five cases involving 41 suspects and issued indictments in three cases involving 68 suspects. Three cases involving seven defendants went to first-instance trials, while three cases involving 14 defendants were heard on appeal.

Police investigators also uncovered and initiated several new cases involving what authorities described as particularly serious and complex corruption and misconduct in sensitive sectors affecting the interests of individuals and businesses. These included a case involving Viet My Medical Investment JSC and cases in education, agriculture and fisheries.

More than $38 million recovered in cases under central oversight

Party committees and inspection commissions at various levels proposed or imposed disciplinary measures against 27 Party organizations and 900 Party members, including six officials under central-level management.

The Government Inspectorate focused on specialized inspections requested by the steering committee, as well as areas attracting public concern or considered vulnerable to corruption, wastefulness and misconduct.

The inspections uncovered numerous violations and resulted in recommendations to recover VND331.6 billion, or about $12.6 million, along with 176 hectares of land. Inspectors also recommended administrative action against 1,577 organizations and 2,485 individuals and referred 38 matters showing signs of criminal activity to investigators.

The Supreme People's Court worked with relevant agencies to address obstacles to recovering assets connected with cases involving Tran Phuong Binh, Hua Thi Phan, Pham Cong Danh and Van Thinh Phat.

Law enforcement and judicial authorities have also encouraged those involved in cases to voluntarily surrender assets and compensate for losses and damages.

Civil judgment enforcement authorities recovered more than VND1 trillion, or about $38 million, in cases and matters monitored and directed by the Central Steering Committee.

Provincial-level steering committees have meanwhile reorganized their membership in line with instructions from the Politburo and the Central Steering Committee.

They have focused on strengthening controls over the exercise of power and preventing corruption, wastefulness and misconduct within Vietnam's two-tier local government system, while inspecting and monitoring sectors considered particularly vulnerable to such problems.

Tran Thuong