Irregularities in Fee Collection and Budget Spending
The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate has recently announced inspection conclusions on financial management and public asset management at six units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The inspection revealed numerous violations by these units regarding the issuance of regulations on financial management and public asset management.
For instance, the University of Electricity and the Red Star University have not issued regulations on financial transparency and have not complied with regulations on financial autonomy for public non-business units. Out of the 62 administrative and non-business units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 30 units have not issued programs or plans for practicing thrift and anti-wastefulness, and nine units have not sent reports on the results to the Planning and Finance Department…
Several units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade were found to have irregularities in determining off-budget revenue and expenditure. |
The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate pointed out a series of violations regarding budget allocation, budget proposal submission, and settlement of regular revenue and expenditure for the year 2023 at these units.
Specifically, in 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade approved budget proposals and settled accounts for two public non-business units with financial autonomy, amounting to VND 7.9 billion, including VND 4.4 billion for the Ho Chi Minh City College of Industry and Trade and VND 3.5 billion for the College of Foreign Economic Relations. The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate stated that this was not in accordance with Article 11 of the Government’s Decree No. 60 on financial autonomy for public non-business units.
Several units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade were found to have used fee revenue for regular activities contrary to regulations. Notably, the Import-Export Department collected VND 51.6 billion in fees for certificates of origin (C/O) in 2023. After paying taxes, the remaining amount at the unit was VND 42.8 billion. However, as of December 25, 2024, the Import-Export Department had not returned this amount to the state budget.
In 2023, the State Audit Office recommended increasing revenue and reducing expenditure in the state budget for the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including a recommendation for the Import-Export Department to pay VND 42.8 billion to the state budget as this amount was not included in the budget proposal approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
At the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate found that in 2023, the unit collected fees of over VND 525 million for three types of fees that were not included in the budget proposals approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. After paying taxes, the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade spent and proposed to settle an amount of over VND 450 million. The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate determined that this amount was not included in the approved budget proposals and was spent contrary to regulations.
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate found that five colleges under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (College of Technology and Commerce, College of Industry in Thai Nguyen, College of Industrial Engineering, College of Food Industry, and College of Commerce) were allocated a budget to support students in previous years, totaling VND 1.1 billion. However, this amount has not been utilized.
Renting Out Properties Without Approval and Exceeding Official Car Quota
The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate pointed out several violations in the management and use of certain types of public assets by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Specifically, 16 public non-business units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade used public assets such as houses, land, and official cars for business and leasing purposes. Among these, four units (including the Institute of Oil and Oil Plants, Ho Chi Minh City College of Industry and Trade, Hue College of Industry, and the Institute of Paper and Pulp Industry) used these assets for business and leasing purposes from 2018 to 2024 without permission or approval from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Regarding the management and arrangement of official cars, the Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate stated that the Ministry of Industry and Trade currently manages and uses 881 cars. However, as of December 25, 2024, the arrangement of these cars had not been completed, which is later than the prescribed time limit. As of the end of 2024, the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the University of Electricity were managing and using eight cars exceeding the standards and norms (the Office has six extra cars, and the University of Electricity has two extra cars).
Given these limitations and violations, the Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate recommended that the Minister of Industry and Trade direct a review and recover the amount of VND 7.9 billion, which was the expenditure of the two public non-business units in 2023, to the state budget.
The Import-Export Department should return VND 42.8 billion, the amount of C/O fees retained in 2023, to the state budget. The Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade should return over VND 451 million to the state budget, which was the amount of fee revenue retained contrary to regulations.
Additionally, the Ministry of Industry and Trade should recover and return to the state budget the unutilized budget balance of VND 1.1 billion, which was allocated to support students at the five colleges under the Ministry from 2022 and previous years.
The Ministry of Finance’s Inspectorate proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade urgently complete the arrangement of official cars. These matters should be completed and the results reported to the Ministry of Finance before May 31, 2025.
Duong Hung
– 15:09 17/03/2025
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