Finance sector always concentrates on anti-corruption

The customs units usually organise dialogue with enterprises. In the picture: Customs – Business dialogue held by Thai Binh Customs Branch (Hai Phong Customs Department) on Jun 9th, 2022. Photo: T.Bình

Strict implementation of code of conduct and code of professional ethics

In recent times, the Ministry of Finance has requested agencies and organizations to thoroughly grasp some points of view, targets and solutions of the Party and the State in anti-corruption; combine closely with the prevention and actively detection, resolutely handle individuals committing acts of corruption and at the same time, strictly handling and preventing the situation of harassing citizens and enterprises in work settlement effectively.

Implementing directives of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), General Departments under MOF have issued documents guiding and implementing anti-corruption work. The General Department of Taxation has developed and issued many official documents to implement anti-corruption work, inspection and examination plans on income and assets declaration. The State Treasury has developed and issued documents on the implementation of anti-corruption. Agencies and units under the Ministry of Finance regularly thoroughly understand and disseminate the Party's guidelines, policies and laws on anti-corruption associated with implementing Directive No. 05-CT/TW of the Ministry of Finance. Politics on promoting learning and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style; Resolution of the 4th Central Committee (term XII) on strengthening Party building and rectification; prevent and reverse the deterioration of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within agencies, organizations and units. Tax, Customs, State Treasury... have increased activities of connecting, sharing and accompanying businesses in state management and anti-corruption through telephone, hotline, publicity and transparency of administrative procedures, increase the application of information technology, modernize management.

According to the assessment of the Ministry of Finance, agencies, organizations and units under the Ministry of Finance have developed and strictly implemented the code of conduct and code of professional ethics to help cadres and civil servants strictly abide by the provisions of the law when performing tasks, prevent corruption and negativity. Specifically, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has deployed a surveillance camera system and an online customs supervision room that allows monitoring of the process of customs clearance for exported and imported goods and vehicles, thereby controlling and preventing the negative behavior of customs officers promptly; establish a hotline to receive information reflected on the troublesome and negative expressions of customs officers to take resolute and thorough handling measures. In addition, the General Department of Taxation issued a dispatch requesting the units to strictly implement the strengthening of management, stepping up the direction, inspection and supervision of the tightening of discipline and administrative discipline when performing tasks. As a result, in the first nine months of 2022, the whole tax sector carried out 179 inspections on implementing the code of conduct of officials and civil servants in 459 units.

Strictly handle acts that bend the rules

In parallel with the anti-corruption, over the past, the work of reception of citizens, handling complaints and denunciations has been concentrated by the Ministry of Finance. Accordingly, the whole sector has strictly followed the Government's instructions in ensuring the tasks of reception of citizens, settlement of complaints and denunciations. Agencies and units under the Ministry of Finance have publicly posted up the rules and schedules for the reception of citizens following regulations; arrange staff to meet citizens with moral qualities, professional knowledge and law.

Agencies and units settle complaints, denunciations, reflections and recommendations following the order, procedures and law provisions. Agencies and units throughout the finance industry have well maintained the operation of hotlines, email boxes, and single window divisions to receive and promptly resolve recommendations, problems and complaints; directing agencies and units to review applications at affiliated units; review the outstanding complaints and denunciations to settle the complaints definitively.

According to a report from the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Finance, in the past nine months, the Ministry of Finance has received 1,071 complaints, of which 652 complaints are under its jurisdiction. The content of the complaint focuses mainly on tax collection and improper tax assessment, applying incorrect product codes, and requesting payment of people's debts. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance has also received 1,322 denunciations, of which 507 denunciations are under its authority. The content of the denunciation focused mainly on violations in personnel organization, financial management, recruitment, emulation and commendation. Most denunciations are duplicates without names, signatures, and clear addresses.

Additionally, in the past nine months, the Ministry of Finance has performed the task of reception of citizens at the headquarters 260 times with 408 people. Citizens who come to make complaints, denunciations, petitions and reports at the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance and units under the Ministry of Finance are welcomed, guided enthusiastically, thoughtfully and considered to resolve following the provisions of the law. Through the reception of citizens, the Ministry of Finance and its affiliated units have reviewed, guided and resolved 251 cases. In particular, the Ministry of Finance is 18 cases. The tax sector is 223 cases. The Customs sector is 2 cases, the State Treasury sector is 2 cases, the State Securities Commission is 4 cases, Insurance Supervision Administration is 2 cases.

According to the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Finance, from now until the end of 2022, besides several fields which often occur complaints and denunciations, such as compensation policy, land clearance, and cases related to tax, it is forecasted that there may be more applications related to securities and insurance fields. Therefore, the Ministry of Finance will continue to disseminate and train cadres and civil servants in the entire legal branch on the reception of citizen complaint settlement, focusing on propagating circulars issued newly by the Government Inspectorate.

In particular, to avoid the occurrence of unfortunate events in the field of securities investment as in the past time, leading to lawsuits, the Ministry of Finance will continue to recommend individual investors, before participating in the corporate bonds market, it is necessary to evaluate themselves to see if they have enough capacity to assess the risks when investing in corporate bonds. They should not buy bonds through the offer without carefully learning about the issuer's financial situation and terms and conditions or just buy bonds because of high-interest rates. Any act of bending the provisions of the law to become a professional securities investor will lead to many risks and losses when buying bonds (possibly losing all investment money), even law violations. State management agencies will conduct inspections and examinations to strictly handle acts of bending the law.