Hiring the Right Talent: Combating Negativity and Corruption in Public Investment

The Government Office has just issued a notice on the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son at the meeting of Task Force No. 5 on inspecting, urging, and removing difficulties and obstacles and promoting the disbursement of annual public investment capital at ministries, agencies, and localities.

The Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged and commended the efforts of localities that have achieved good disbursement results, such as Tien Giang, Long An, Tra Vinh, An Giang, and Dong Thap. This has contributed to the socio-economic development of their respective localities and the country as a whole.

Despite the positive results, many ministries, agencies, and localities still have low disbursement rates compared to the national average. Mr. Bui Thanh Son requested that the ministries, sectors, and localities promptly address and remove obstacles and difficulties within their authority; striving to disburse over 95% of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister for 2024.

The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that the ministries, sectors, and localities should assign leaders to monitor the progress of projects based on clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines. He further suggested the establishment of task forces led by the provincial People’s Committee leaders to strengthen inspection and supervision.

Mr. Bui Thanh Son emphasized the need for discipline and rigor in the disbursement of public investment capital and suggested the imposition of strict penalties in accordance with regulations for investors, project management units, organizations, and individuals who deliberately delay the progress of capital allocation, implementation, and disbursement of public investment capital.

Along with this, there is a need to promptly replace incompetent officials and public employees who cause hassles and resolutely handle negative and corrupt acts in public investment management.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to closely monitor the progress and promptly report to the Government and the Prime Minister flexible and effective solutions that are in line with the actual situation, in order to achieve the goal of disbursing public investment capital for 2024.

The Ministry of Construction was assigned to coordinate closely with the Ministry of Transport to monitor the situation and fluctuations in the construction materials market, especially for key materials. They are also responsible for proposing and reporting to the Prime Minister timely solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in ensuring supply and controlling the prices of construction materials.

The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the People’s Committees of the provinces and cities prioritize allocating sufficient funds for compensation and site clearance for areas that meet the conditions. He emphasized the need to avoid situations where projects are delayed due to a lack of site clearance, especially for important national projects.

Localities were also requested to focus on removing difficulties related to mining permits and the exploitation of stone, sand, and soil resources to serve the projects. They should also announce the prices of common construction materials in their respective areas in accordance with their authority and the provisions of the law.