Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung speaks at the NA Standing Committee's April 19 meeting (Photo: VNA)Hanoi, (VNA) – The National Assembly’s Financial and Budgetary Committee commended the Government for drastic leadership in promoting thrift and fighting wastefulness in 2016 when reporting on its examination and verification of the Government’s report in this field.
At the April 19 sitting of the 9th meeting of the NA Standing Committee, the Financial and Budgetary Committee noted that the Government has promulgated many resolutions designed to remove outstanding problems, bolster economic growth. The management and use of State capital, funds and assets has improved towards stricter fiscal policies and financial discipline, and greater efficiency and transparency. The promotion of thrift and reduction of wastefulness has resulted in greater resources for carrying out socio-economic tasks and ensuring social welfare.
Alongside positive changes, shortcomings remain, the committee reported, noting that when inspecting more than 750 trillion VND in the State budget’s regular spending in 2016, or 90 percent of the yearly estimates, the State treasury system detected 28,800 items of improper expenditure. Those items included the wasteful spending on anniversary ceremonies and the purchase of vehicles and equipment by State-owned agencies.
The committee also mentioned the violations of legal regulations on bidding in public purchase, leading to unreasonable high costs particularly in health care, in some localities such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Bac Kan, and the wasteful exploitation of natural resources in Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang. The committee cited as example the worsening illegal sand mining and deforestation that caused public concern recently.
The Government’s report said ministries, agencies and local authorities have made great efforts in practicing thrift and reducing wastefulness. Specifically, 73 ministries, agencies and local administrations have announced the lists of assets subject to concentrated purchase while the check of public cars has been carried out actively.
The ministries, agencies and localities have also strengthened management of criteria and quotas in investment in building new or upgrading offices. The management of natural resources exploitation and use has received more attention and the system of laws on natural resource, the environment, sea and islands continued to be improved.
The Government also reported on the 10 solutions it has drafted in order to effectively enforce its programme on promoting thrift and fighting wastefulness in 2017.
The NA Standing Committee approved the Government’s proposed solutions, noting that the supervision of the enforcement of the Law on Thrift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention should be tightened, especially in the fields of construction, management and use of land and natural resources, and the purchase and use of public assets.
The Government should accelerate the building of criteria and quotas to provide the basis for preventing wastefulness
The Committee also agreed that the NA should allocate time during plenary sessions to discuss the Government’s report on the enforcement of the Law on Thrift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention.-VNA
