The police force has stamped out more than 1,000 criminal rings that operated under the cover of businesses in 2016.

Colonel General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, announced the data at an online meeting between the Government and 63 provinces and cities held this morning, the Voice of Viet Nam’s online newspaper has reported.

The rings were hired for varied activities such as to collect debts, foreclose, for mining minerals, intervening in bidding activities among businesses and in the transport service business, Lâm said, adding that the rings had affected the healthy competitive environment among businesses.

The police have also dealt with around 16,800 violations related to economic management, 224 corruption cases and 17,000 environmental violations this year.

The ministry has removed 25 administrative procedures and simplified 193 others to create favourable conditions for both people and businesses to follow government policy, he said. 

For instance, the time taken to grant a passport was reduced from 15 days to eight, and the visa duration for a foreign investor in Viet Nam has been increased from one year to five years, he said.

At the meeting, Lam proposed that the government tighten the management of migrants, especially in industrial zones and big cities, to ensure that development and stability go hand in hand. 

VNS