Anti-corruption effectiveness has failed to meet public expectations because the task has not been performed systematically, synchronously, continuously and comprehensively. One example is that ideological education of state officials is not respected. We need to educate state officials so they will consider corruption uncultivated and a crime against their people.

The second reason is that the supervision and management mechanism exposes many gaps. In some aspects, punishment is not strict enough and we are not brave enough to ensure punishment reaches the highest levels.

The third reason is that we have to improve the living standards of State officials; otherwise they will give up the state sector to work for the private sector to earn higher income. Either that or they will bleed state money. We can’t say that low living standards are a reason to commit fraud but it is a reason that we can’t avoid. Salaries must be sufficient to support state officials and their families.

Some deputies said that while we have inspection bodies from central to local levels corruption is mainly detected by the public and the press. The role of the inspectors is very vague. What do you think about this comment?

Objectively, our inspection system has promoted its effect. Each locality has statistics on anti-corruption and waste of state assets. However, many cases are not discovered by inspection bodies. The system of anti-corruption agencies will be completed in the near future, with some important bodies added to the system under the Law on Anti-corruption, which will take effect as of June 1, 2006. For example, the Government Inspection Body and the Ministry of Public Security will have their own anti-corruption departments.

It is necessary to be calm and patient in the fight against corruption. This is a social evil which needs time to be solved. But we have to fight the correct targets and on a continuous basis. Corruption lawsuits are a special kind of lawsuit that must be investigated clearly.

In Quang Nam Province you were the Chairman for several consecutive years. How is the role of government inspection body there?

The State inspection agency in Quang Nam operates very well. For example, we have recently dealt with the Hoi An water plant project, where managers made false statements of nearly VND600mil. All of these managers were dismissed and the money was reclaimed by the state.

Some inspectors have been open to bribes themselves to change investigation findings. What is your viewpoint on this?

This is a crime and we have to punish them strictly. State officials are not allowed to commit corruption. Inspectors must be more honest and be firm. If they are corrupt too, then they must be punished more strictly.

The Government’s report emphasized the solution of reducing the number of deputy leaders and intermediary stages. Could you explain more about this point?

I completely agree with this solution. There are many deputy heads at present, and the more deputy heads there are the more difficult it is to get something down. If the function of deputy heads is defined clearly and checked properly, they can perform their tasks effectively, otherwise, both deputy heads and heads are difficult to work. In Quang Nam Province, all Deputy Chairmen fulfil their role very well in the fields they are assigned.

Each province now has one chairman and four deputies. Will the reduction of deputy chairman make the pressure on the chairman heavier?

The number of deputies is based on the area and population of a province. For example, Quang Nam is one of the three largest provinces in Vietnam. For that reason, it needs an extra deputy chairman in charge of the mountainous region.

The government report said that chairmen may have the right to appoint the leaders in lower rung departments. Some worry that this regulation will merely seed pawns for the chairman. Does it worry you?

The appointment procedure must be strict, open and transparent to avoid creating a team of pawns for the chairman and also end nepotism. However, this will also make the management effectiveness of the senior levels better.

Currently seniors directly appoint inferior leaders, but the procedures are quite complicated. For example, if the chairman of a province suspends a chairman of a district, he needs approval

from the Party Committee, or the People’s Council of that district. He can’t temporarily suspend a district chairman on an accusation of breaking the law.

When you were the chairman of Quang Ngai Province, you made public your cell-phone number. Will you do the same at the new position?

When I made my phone number public, I gained a great deal of information from local residents, and from investors who explained their problems. From this, I could devise measures to deal with the problems. Certainly before solving their problems, related bodies must check whether these problems were real or not.

To be close to the people, any leader needs to be within reach. I will make public my phone number at any position.

Source: VNE 18/05/2006