Vietnam to fight corruption more vigorously: party leader

Vietnam will take strong-handed and synchronous measures to combat corruption and wastefulness in the coming time, Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) said at the 10th national party congress, which opened here Tuesday.

"Intensifying prevention and fight against corruption and wastefulness is the society's pressing requirement and the party's political determination, aiming at building up a clean, stable and strong leadership and management apparatus, and overcoming one of big risks which threatens the existence of our regime," Manh stressed.

He said to fight corruption and wastefulness, Vietnam will center on supplementing and perfecting regulations on economic and financial management and inspection, keeping on speeding up administrative reform, ensuring the publicity and transparency of economic and financial activities in organizations and agencies, continuing to renovate policies on salary of state cadres and employees, and well implementing laws on fighting against corruption and wastefulness.

The general secretary add that the party is to deal with corrupt people regardless of their posts, either in office or already retired, in a determined, timely and open manner, as well as those who shelter corruption or take advantage of corruption reporting to slander and harm others.

Vietnam is actively probing into a scandal at the Project Management Unit No. 18 under the Transport Ministry. According to initial investigation, the unit's general director Bui Tien Dung, who has been detained and prosecuted for three charges, namely gambling, giving bribery and economic mismanagement, has spent millions of U.S. dollars on betting foreign soccer matches via an international betting ring.

As a result, Transport Minister Dao Dinh Binh has resigned, and Deputy Transport Minister Dao Dinh Binh has been detained and prosecuted for his responsibility for the scandal, and his mismanagement.

The 10th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam ( CPV) will last until April 25, during which 1,176 delegates, on behalf of 3.1 million party members in Vietnam, who will mainly elect the CPV Central Committee and its Political Bureau (the 10th tenure), define orientations for the country's socioeconomic development in the 2006-2010 period, and adopt the party's amended stature.

Source: Xinhua