4 solutions to combat waste: Pursue personal responsibility

In the article "Fighting against waste," General Secretary To Lam stated that in addition to recognizing that fighting waste is a fierce fight against "internal invaders", it is also necessary to perfect and effectively implement institutions to prevent and combat waste; strictly handle individuals and groups that cause loss of public assets; issue Party regulations to specifically identify manifestations of waste in the performance of duties of cadres and party members; and stipulate the responsibilities of Party committees, party organizations, authorities, and leaders in preventing and combating waste.

Dealing with "overspending"

Waste, like corruption, is one of the manifestations of the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, "self-evolution," "self-transformation." The phenomenon of waste, "overspending" with sophisticated transformations, causes great waste to the state budget.

Article 78 of the 2013 Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness stipulates that agencies, organizations and individuals who violate the law; fail to comply or improperly comply, causing waste, must compensate for part or all of the damage according to the provisions of law; depending on the severity of the violation, they will be subject to disciplinary action, administrative sanctions or criminal prosecution.

The head of an agency or organization who does not directly commit a violation but allows waste to occur in the agency or organization, allows wasteful behavior by people under his or her direct management or assignment, or fails to handle wasteful behavior according to his or her authority, depending on the severity, will be subject to disciplinary action or criminal prosecution.

The head of a direct superior agency or organization must bear joint responsibility for the occurrence of waste in a subordinate agency or organization and in an agency or organization directly under the charge of his or her deputy. Depending on the severity, he or she will be subject to disciplinary action or criminal prosecution.

The 2013 Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness is a significant step forward in dealing with the waste of social assets and resources. For a long time, waste in public activities was only considered an "ugly" behavior that needed to be educated and propagated. Now, wasteful behavior of a serious level is not only condemned but also dealt with.

However, up to now, in reality, waste handling has not received due attention and is often associated with corruption handling; the mechanism for monitoring and handling waste is not really strict and does not match reality.

The law already exists with very specific provisions, but the important thing is to put the law into practice and enforce it effectively. There have been many major corruption cases, so it is certain that "major waste cases" also need to be dealt with severely.

There will be signs of anti-wastefulness by cadres and party members.

As in the fight against corruption, personal responsibility, especially that of heads of agencies, organizations, cadres and party members in practicing thrift and fighting waste, is extremely important.

In the context that some agencies, units, localities, and a number of cadres and party members have not been exemplary in preserving public assets, on December 25, 2023, the Politburo issued Directive No. 27-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership in practicing thrift and combating waste.

The Politburo requires all levels, sectors, agencies, units and localities to develop specific plans and programs, promote the responsibility of Party committees, Party organizations and leaders in leading and directing the practice of thrift and combating waste in conjunction with the performance of assigned duties and tasks; cadres and Party members, especially leaders and managers, must be exemplary and mobilize their families and people to actively participate in practicing thrift and combating waste.

In addition, continue to review, supplement and perfect the law on practicing thrift and fighting waste in the direction of taking thrift as the goal and fighting waste as the task, ensuring unity, synchronization and feasibility; focus on clearly defining the responsibilities, tasks and powers of agencies, organizations, collectives and individuals, especially the heads; specify violations and forms of handling; focus on areas prone to loss, waste and negativity such as bidding, auction, management and use of land, resources, credit, management of public assets, public investment, use of capital and state assets in enterprises.

At the same time, revise and perfect the system of standards, regulations, economic-technical norms, unit prices, and public spending regimes as a basis to reduce waste in the use of capital, assets, resources, labor, and working time, improve the effectiveness of thrift practice, and combat waste.

In order for the practice of thrift and anti-waste of cadres and party members to be truly associated with the performance of assigned duties and tasks, we must have specific indicators for evaluation and classification.

In the article "Fighting waste," General Secretary To Lam requires that the fight against waste must be deployed resolutely and synchronously with effective solutions.

One of the proposed solutions is to issue Party regulations specifically identifying manifestations of waste in the performance of duties by cadres and Party members.

The Party's issuance of specific regulations identifying negative manifestations that need to be overcome has a precedent in 2018.

On September 24, 2018, the Central Organizing Committee issued Instruction No. 16-HD/BTCTW on annual quality review, assessment and classification of party organizations, party members and collectives and individuals of leaders and managers at all levels.

Attached to the Guide is a document listing 82 specific manifestations to identify 27 manifestations of degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party so that Party members can relate to themselves, recognize the manifestations themselves, and from there develop a plan to overcome and correct them.

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