Tighten discipline in practicing thrift and fighting waste

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong chaired the meeting. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

Mobilize and effectively use resources

Presenting a summary report, Chairman of the National Assembly's Finance and Budget Committee Nguyen Phu Cuong, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation, stated: Under the wise leadership of the Party, the close supervision of the National Assembly, and the flexible and drastic direction and management of the Government, the combined strength of the entire political system, social organizations, businesses and people has been mobilized to effectively use resources for socio-economic development.

The implementation of policies and laws on practicing thrift and combating waste in the 2016-2021 period has achieved very important and positive results, along with the great results of the fight against corruption and negativity, contributing to the successful implementation of socio-economic development, financial and budgetary goals and targets; mobilizing, managing and effectively using human, material and financial resources.

All levels and sectors basically issue the 5-year and annual Program on practicing thrift and combating waste and organize its implementation based on legal regulations. The work of advising and issuing legal documents and documents related to practicing thrift and combating waste is given attention and focus; the quality is gradually improved to meet practical requirements.

In addition, the management and use of the State budget and other State capital sources have many positive changes, ensuring strictness, savings and efficiency. The total revenue and scale of the State budget revenue in the 5-year period of 2016-2020 respectively reached 6,918 trillion VND and an average of 25.3% of GDP, exceeding the set target and 1.66 times higher than the period of 2011-2015.

The structure of state budget expenditure has changed positively, increasing the proportion of development investment expenditure from 22.9% of total state budget expenditure in 2016 to about 29% in 2020; gradually reducing the proportion of regular expenditure from 64.9% of total state budget expenditure in 2017 to below 64% in 2020 in accordance with the set target, but still ensuring funding for implementing social security tasks and important fields.

The report of the Supervisory Delegation emphasized that the streamlining of the apparatus, management of payroll, staff reduction, and administrative procedure reform have achieved many positive results, which are the most outstanding achievements and results in the 2016-2021 period. By the end of 2021, the number of public service units had decreased by 13.85%; the number of civil servants had decreased by 10.01%; and the number of public employees had decreased by 11.12% compared to 2015, exceeding the set target.

The management, exploitation and use of resources, land and minerals have been strengthened. Some localities have focused on and resolutely handled and recovered many suspended projects and slow-progress projects, requiring the use of nearly 100,000 hectares of land of slow-moving projects.

Inspection, examination, auditing and investigation work has been strengthened and achieved many important and positive results. Many economic cases causing serious losses of capital and state assets have been strictly handled, serving as a warning, deterrent and limiting negative behaviors, corruption and waste in the management and use of the country's resources.

Equitization and divestment are very slow.

In addition to the achieved results, the implementation of policies and laws on practicing thrift and combating waste still has many shortcomings and limitations. Specifically, the preparation and appraisal of state budget estimates are not close to reality. Tax arrears, revenue losses, late collection, incorrect and insufficient collection. Violations of regulations on norms, standards and regimes are still relatively common. Discipline and order in the preparation, implementation and organization of medium-term and annual public investment plans are not strict.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Finance and Budget Committee Nguyen Phu Cuong presented the National Assembly's Supervisory Delegation's Report. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

Investment preparation, establishment, appraisal, decision on investment policy, and decision on investment projects still have many shortcomings and inadequacies. Thousands of projects are behind schedule and tend to increase over the years. Incomplete reports from ministries, branches, and localities show that in 2016, 1,448 projects were behind schedule, in 2017, 1,609 projects, in 2018, 1,778 projects, in 2019, 1,878 projects, in 2020, 1,867 projects, and in 2021, 1,962 projects, of which most of the important national projects and key projects are behind schedule.

The equitization and divestment work in the 2016-2020 period was very slow and had many shortcomings. In the 2016-2020 period, equitization and divestment only achieved 30% of the plan. Many investment projects using state capital in enterprises still incurred losses, leakages, and waste. Basically, key projects in the fields of oil and gas, electricity, coal, and chemicals have been behind schedule for many years... risks that can cause huge losses, leakages, and affect the energy balance if there are no timely solutions.

Planning and planning management work still has many limitations. National master plans, national marine spatial plans, 5/6 regional plans, and most provincial plans have not been approved yet. Suspended plans and suspended projects are still quite common. In 7/15 localities alone, the Supervisory Team reported that 1,739 projects and works were approved by the Provincial People's Committees but were not implemented and had to be cancelled, with a total area of ​​12,015 hectares.

According to the Supervisory Delegation, the above shortcomings and limitations are due to many reasons. In addition to the reason that some legal regulations, norms, standards, norms, and unit prices are still inadequate and have not kept up with development requirements, the main reason is the implementation. The main reason is that discipline and order in the implementation are not strict. The legal awareness of practicing thrift and combating waste of a number of cadres and people is not adequate; there are also phenomena of lax management, deference, and avoidance in many agencies, units, and localities...

Clarifying the responsibilities of organizations and individuals

To improve the effectiveness of thrift practice and waste prevention in the coming time, the Supervisory Delegation has made a number of recommendations. Among them, strongly innovating propaganda and dissemination work to change awareness, raise consciousness and responsibility in implementing policies and laws on thrift practice and waste prevention in each agency, organization and individual, both in the public and private sectors; strengthening and tightening discipline, thoroughly saving and fighting waste, improving the efficiency of mobilizing, managing and using the country's resources for rapid and sustainable development.

From 2023, the National Assembly will launch a nationwide campaign on practicing thrift and fighting waste. The Government will organize an emulation movement on practicing thrift and fighting waste in production and consumption at all levels, in all sectors and among the people with practical and effective themes, contents and forms.

The National Assembly Standing Committee continues to strengthen supervision of contents related to the implementation of policies and laws on thrift practice and waste prevention in the annual supervision plan; study and integrate some contents of in-depth supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on thrift practice and waste prevention into the plans and contents of thematic supervisions of the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee in 2023 on the use of capital for national target programs; investment and procurement in the health sector; innovation of textbook programs; management, exploitation and use of energy.

Textbooks under the new general education program are diverse with many different sets of books. (Photo: Ministry of Education and Training)

The monitoring delegation recommended that in 2022 and the first 9 months of 2023, the Government complete the review, statistics, and synthesis of all information and data related to the implementation of policies and laws on practicing thrift and combating waste; clarify violations, losses, and waste discovered up to the reporting time of each ministry, branch, and locality.

The Government clarifies the responsibilities of organizations and individuals, especially the accountability of relevant leaders, and implements remedial solutions for 3,085 projects using state capital in the 2016-2021 period that have resulted in loss and waste; 74,378.7 hectares of land used for the wrong purpose, abandoned, or in violation of the law; 79,670 hectares of land of agricultural and forestry companies that have had a decision to reclaim but have not yet had a plan for use; 305,043 hectares of land of agricultural and forestry companies that have not had a decision to reclaim and have not yet had a plan for land use.

The Government needs to classify to develop plans and roadmaps to handle existing problems, limitations, losses, and waste, and report the results to the National Assembly at the 6th Session. In addition, the Government will accelerate the roadmap for reforming tax policies; strengthen the work of forecasting, preparing, and appraising the state budget revenue and expenditure estimates for 2023 and the following years; accelerate the implementation and completion of other public investment and state capital projects; strictly manage the mobilization, management, and use of loans to offset the state budget deficit and loans to repay the principal of the state budget.

In 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, it is necessary to evaluate and have specific solutions to accelerate equitization and divestment of State capital in enterprises; develop a roadmap, plan, and specific solutions to resolve loss-making projects using State capital in enterprises; speed up the review and arrangement of non-State budget financial funds in accordance with legal provisions and the Resolution of the National Assembly.

The Government strengthens the management, exploitation and use of land, resources and minerals, promptly overcomes shortcomings and limitations, ensures economical, effective and sustainable exploitation, minimizes loss, waste and negative impacts on the environment. In 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, complete the approval and improve the quality of land use planning and plans for the 2021-2030 period; review projects and recommendations related to land in inspection, examination and judgment conclusions with difficulties and obstacles nationwide.

The Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Justice, within their scope, tasks, and powers, shall accelerate the process of investigation, prosecution, and trial of cases, and execution of judgments to promptly recover lost and wasted State assets; review difficulties and obstacles related to investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution of judgments...

According to VNA