Raise awareness and responsibility in the fight against corruption in the finance sector

The work of inspection and examination to prevent smuggling and trade fraud has always been implemented drastically and effectively. Photo: Quang Hùng

Carrying out 54,209 cases of specialised inspections and examinations

According to the Ministry of Finance report, in the first nine months of 2022, the entire Finance sector inspected the implementation of the code of conduct of officials and civil servants at 546 units. In particular, the General Department of Taxation was 459 units; State Treasury was 82 units; the General Department of State Reserve was five units. As a result, cadres and civil servants all strictly abide by the regulations in task performance without having a bossy attitude that causes trouble.

Notably, from the beginning of the year until now, the Ministry of Finance has carried out 7 cases of administrative inspections; issued two inspection conclusions at two units. Through the inspection, it is recommended to handle, collect and pay VND76.3 billion to the state budget, including VND 35 billion is proposed to be paid to the state budget; cost estimate deduction, settlement, non-payment of VND208 million; reduced loss of VND41 billion. The units have proposed to pay the state budget of VND 6,344 million.

As for the specialised inspection work, by the end of September 2022, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Finance and units with specialised inspection functions under the Ministry have carried out 54,209 cases of inspections; conducted an inspection of 644,011 tax declaration dossiers at the tax office and through anti-smuggling investigation, arresting 8,718 cases. Since then, it has proposed to handle VND 45,431 billion in finance, including a petition to recover and pay to the state budget VND 10,167 billion; other financial proposals VND 35,263 billion (including reduction of the estimate, deduction of the settlement payment, reduction of loss and reduction of deductions); sanctioning administrative violations VND3,007 billion; inspected units have made recommendations of VND 7,730 billion.

The Ministry of Finance assessed that through inspection and examination, they proposed financial handling, collection and payment of the state budget and sanctioning administrative violations for cases of violations, helping to rectify the financial and budgetary management at the units. At the same time, it recommended to the ministries, sectors and localities to supplement processes and amend legal documents related to the management work, administration, mechanisms and policies to ensure compliance with the law and reality.

Strict control of administrative procedures

Determining that administrative procedure reform is the core solution to help repel corrupt acts, especially petty corruption, the Ministry of Finance has continued to strictly control administrative procedures under the scope of management authority aims to reform administrative procedures comprehensively and effectively, facilitate people and businesses to improve the business environment, and enhance national competitiveness.

In the first nine months of 2022, the Ministry of Finance will strictly control administrative procedures under its management to comprehensively and effectively reform them, creating favorable conditions for the people and businesses to improve the business environment and national competitiveness.

From mid-December 2021 to now, the Ministry of Finance has carried out an impact assessment on 12 administrative procedures in draft legal documents in the management field. On that basis, the Ministry of Finance has selected the optimal plans and solutions for the issuance of new or amended and supplemented procedures in the field of management of the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance also regularly reviews and evaluates administrative procedures to propose abolishing administrative procedures that are no longer appropriate or to amend them in a specific, clear and simple way, increasing feasibility for individuals and organisations to implement. Accumulated from December 15, 2021, to September 15, 2022, the Ministry of Finance has issued 11 decisions announcing the abolition of 130 administrative procedures; amending, supplementing and replacing 178 administrative procedures; announced 54 new administrative procedures in the fields of customs, tax and finance and banking.

Accordingly, as of September 15, 2022, the total number of valid administrative procedures under the management of the Ministry of Finance is 820 administrative procedures. Based on the decision to announce administrative procedures, the Ministry of Finance has publicly and fully updated it on the National Public Service Portal, the Ministry's Portal and the headquarters of the receiving agency to carry out administrative procedures following regulations.

In the future, the Ministry of Finance will continue to strengthen internal management and control measures to overcome the situation of harassment and causing trouble in handling administrative procedures and dealing with the affairs of organisations and individuals within the management functions, tasks and responsibilities of their agencies and units, such as: Publicly announcing email addresses, phone numbers for receiving information, reporting on acts of harassment, trouble, or negativity of cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees within the scope and responsibility of management.

In particular, the Ministry of Finance will strengthen the inspection and supervision of the head of the unit in the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, the implementation of conclusions and corrections after inspection, examination and implementation of regulations on personnel organisation, especially in the recruitment, receipt, appointment and rotation of cadres. Furthermore, timely detection, correcting and strictly handling following the regulations to heads of units who violate the regulation and individual civil servants who have manifestations of autocracy, lack of democracy and mistakes in staff management.