Article by General Secretary and President To Lam on combating waste.

We are pleased to present the article "Combating Waste" by To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

General Secretary and President To Lam. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

On October 13th, we are pleased to present the following article. "Combating waste" By General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , To Lam :

COMBATING WASTE

To Lam
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

1. Throughout all stages of the revolution, the Party and State of Vietnam have always paid special attention to the prevention and control of waste, issuing numerous resolutions, directives, and conclusions on this issue and leading the entire political system and the whole population in organizing its implementation, achieving many results. Facing the need to strengthen resources, unleash the people's strength, and lead the country into a new era under the Party's leadership, the prevention and control of waste is now facing new, urgent, and pressing demands and tasks.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh always paid attention to preventing and combating waste. He instructed, "Corruption, waste, and bureaucracy are enemies of the people, the army, and the Government"[1]; He pointed out, "Corruption is harmful, but waste is sometimes even more harmful: It is more harmful than corruption because waste is very widespread..."[2]; "Although waste does not take public property to pocket, the results are also very harmful to the people and the Government. Sometimes it is more harmful than corruption"[3]; He repeatedly emphasized, "We must cherish public property: All the food, clothing, and use of you are the sweat and tears of our compatriots. We must save, preserve, and not waste[4]; "Corruption, waste, and bureaucracy are a kind of 'enemy in the heart'. If soldiers and people strive to fight foreign invaders but forget to fight internal enemies, then they have not fulfilled their duty." Therefore, soldiers and people must enthusiastically participate in that movement"[5]. Not only did President Ho Chi Minh frequently instruct, remind, and discuss saving and combating waste from a theoretical perspective, but he was also a shining example of practicing saving and combating waste, inspiring the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to strive to compete, mobilize, and gather potential and strength to defeat colonialism and imperialism, liberate the nation, and unify the country.

Since the implementation of the reform process, the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat of various terms have issued numerous directives, resolutions, and conclusions on preventing and combating waste. On August 21, 2006, the Third Plenum of the Central Committee (10th term) issued Resolution No. 04-NQ/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership in the fight against corruption and waste; on May 25, 2012, the Central Committee (11th term) issued Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW on continuing to implement the Resolution of the Third Plenum of the Central Committee (10th term); and on December 21, 2012, the Secretariat issued Directive No. 21-CT/TW on promoting thrift and combating waste. On December 25, 2023, the Politburo issued Directive 27-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership over the work of practicing thrift and combating waste. The documents of the 13th National Congress of the Party clearly stated: “The work of preventing and combating corruption and waste... has not made significant progress... the detection and handling of corruption and waste are still limited... Corruption and waste... are still serious and complex... increasingly sophisticated, causing public outrage”[6]. To institutionalize the Party's policies, the Standing Committee of the 10th National Assembly issued the Ordinance on practicing thrift and combating waste in 1998; the National Assembly passed the Law on practicing thrift and combating waste in 2005 and 2013; the 2013 Constitution stipulates that “Agencies, organizations, and individuals must practice thrift, combat waste, and prevent and combat corruption in socio-economic activities and state management”[7].

Implementing the resolutions, directives, and conclusions of the Central Party Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Constitution, and legal regulations, Party committees, governments, departments, and mass organizations at all levels, from the central to local levels, have more clearly defined their responsibilities in directing and organizing the implementation of tasks related to preventing and combating waste. The effectiveness and efficiency of state management and the exploitation and use of the country's resources have been enhanced. The state budget is strictly controlled from the planning stage to the execution and final accounting; the procurement, equipping, management, and use of assets, means of transportation, and working equipment in agencies and organizations using the budget are carried out in accordance with the prescribed norms, standards, and regulations; the management of investment projects using state capital and assets has seen positive changes. The restructuring and handling of state-owned houses and land have been implemented; The management and use of state capital and assets in enterprises, and the people's awareness of saving in production and consumption have seen many positive changes. The results of practicing thrift and combating waste have contributed to the great achievements of the reform process; achieving and exceeding most socio-economic development goals and targets over the terms, even in the context of unprecedented challenges such as epidemics and natural disasters; effectively mobilizing, managing, and utilizing human resources, material resources, and financial resources; ensuring national defense, security, foreign relations, social security, and social welfare of the country.

Besides the positive results, waste is also quite widespread, occurring in many different forms, and has been causing many serious consequences for development. These include the depletion of human and financial resources, reduced production efficiency, increased cost burdens, resource depletion, and widening the gap between rich and poor. Furthermore, waste erodes public trust in the Party and the State, creates invisible barriers to socio-economic development, and leads to missed opportunities for national development. Some forms of waste that are currently emerging intensely include: The quality of lawmaking and the improvement of legislation do not meet the practical requirements of the reform process, leading to difficulties and obstacles in implementation, causing losses and waste of resources. Waste of time and effort for businesses and individuals due to cumbersome administrative procedures and inconvenient and inefficient online public services. Wasteful opportunities for local and national development arise from the inefficiency of the state apparatus in some areas and at certain times, with some officials engaging in corruption, incompetence, shirking responsibility, and fearing accountability; and from low labor quality and productivity. Wasteful natural resources and public assets are also a result of inefficient management and utilization, including the disbursement of public investment capital; the privatization and divestment of state-owned enterprises; the restructuring and handling of state-owned land and properties; projects that heavily utilize land and water resources; and the slow implementation of national programs, objectives, and credit packages supporting social welfare development. Waste in production, business, and consumption activities by the people occurs in many forms.

Besides the causes leading to various forms of waste, the implementation of resolutions, directives, and legal documents on preventing and combating waste remains limited in practice; the system of standards, norms, and regulations, some of which are not in line with reality, are slow to be revised and supplemented; the handling of waste has not been given sufficient emphasis, often being linked to the handling of corruption as a consequence. A widespread emulation movement for practicing thrift and combating waste has not been created, nor has strong public opinion been formed to criticize and condemn wasteful behaviors. The building of a culture of thrift and non-wastefulness in society has not received adequate attention.

2. We are facing a historic opportunity to usher the nation into an era of national progress. This is also the time to shape our future. To seize this opportunity, overcome challenges, significantly increase resources to care for the people, enrich the country in this new revolutionary period, and build a better future, the fight against waste must be implemented decisively and comprehensively with effective solutions, creating a strong ripple effect, becoming voluntary and conscious among every cadre, Party member, and citizen, and fostering a culture of conduct in the new era; focusing on the following key solutions:

Firstly, it is necessary to unify the understanding that the fight against waste is a challenging and complex battle against an "internal enemy"; it is part of the class struggle; and it holds a position equivalent to the fight against corruption and negative phenomena in building a strong Party, "which is morality and civilization." Focus on widespread propaganda to raise awareness and responsibility among cadres, Party members, and workers, first and foremost through the exemplary leadership of leaders in each agency, organization, and individual in the public and private sectors, regarding the meaning, importance, and responsibility of practicing thrift and combating waste. Thrift and combating waste must be clearly demonstrated through commitments and plans, with leadership, specific targets, and carried out regularly and thoroughly. Develop and implement practical campaigns and emulation movements on practicing thrift and combating waste, creating a vibrant and widespread emulation spirit throughout the Party, the people, and the armed forces. Timely commendation, rewarding, and replication of advanced models in effectively implementing the work of practicing thrift and combating waste.

Secondly, focus on perfecting and effectively implementing the institutional framework for preventing and combating waste; strictly punish individuals and groups whose actions cause loss and waste of public assets. Issue Party regulations specifically identifying manifestations of waste in the performance of duties by cadres and Party members; define the roles and responsibilities of Party committees, Party organizations, government agencies, and heads of agencies, organizations, and units in the work of preventing and combating waste; and develop and implement a National Strategy on preventing and combating waste. Continue researching and amending legal regulations on practicing thrift and combating waste to create a complete and synchronized legal basis for monitoring, inspecting, detecting, and strongly and deterrently handling wasteful acts; and build a truly effective mechanism for monitoring and detecting waste by the Fatherland Front, mass organizations, and the people. Strengthen the detection and strict handling of violations that cause significant waste of public assets, in the spirit of "handling one case to serve as a warning to the entire region and sector."

Thirdly, focus on thoroughly addressing the causes of waste of public assets, natural resources, and resources intended for the welfare of the people and national development. The focus is on: (i) Strongly innovating the work of building, perfecting, and enforcing laws, considering this a crucial factor in preventing and combating waste. In particular, lawmaking must stem from practical experience; learning from experience as we go; avoiding perfectionism and haste; placing the people and businesses at the center and as the main subjects; promptly resolving difficulties and obstacles; unlocking resources; resolving and overcoming bottlenecks; expanding opportunities; and creating momentum for development. Regularly evaluating the effectiveness and quality of policies after their promulgation to promptly adjust inadequacies and contradictions, and minimize losses and waste of resources. Reviewing and supplementing regulations on management mechanisms and economic-technical norms that are no longer suitable for the country's development reality. Perfecting regulations on handling wasteful acts; (i) Regulations on the management and use of public assets; institutional frameworks for the application of information technology and digital transformation, creating synchronization in transformation to minimize waste. (ii) Thoroughly reform and minimize administrative procedures and compliance costs for citizens and businesses; combat bureaucracy. (iii) Efficiently utilize resources, human resources, and material resources; enhance sustainability and optimize work processes; improve energy efficiency. Resolve long-standing issues related to nationally important projects, key projects, and projects with low efficiency that cause significant losses and waste; and address weak commercial banks. Expedite the equitization process and improve the operational efficiency of state-owned enterprises. In summary, replicate the experience gained from implementing the 500 kV circuit 3 Quang Trach (Quang Binh)-Pho Noi (Hung Yen) power line project to shorten the implementation time of key national investment projects, highways, key inter-regional projects, and projects with spillover effects. (iv) Focus on building and streamlining the organizational apparatus of the Party, National Assembly, Government, Fatherland Front, and political-social organizations to operate effectively and efficiently; build a team of cadres, especially leaders at all levels, with sufficient qualities, capabilities, and prestige to match the tasks in the new conditions. Develop specific solutions to increase labor productivity and enhance the value of Vietnamese labor in the new period.

Fourth, build a culture of preventing and combating waste; make the practice of saving and combating waste "voluntary," "conscious," and "everyday necessities like food, water, and clothing." Build a culture of saving and combating waste in agencies and organizations; encourage the people to strengthen the practice of saving and combating waste, creating a habit of valuing state assets, the people's efforts, collective contributions, and individual efforts; consider the practice of saving and combating waste as a daily task. Implement comprehensive solutions to build a culture of saving and a sense of saving; develop a scientific work mindset, manage time effectively, and foster social ethical responsibility linked to strict discipline and order.

VI Lenin said, “We must practice extreme thrift in our state apparatus. We must eliminate all traces of waste that monarchical Russia and its capitalist bureaucracy have left behind”[8]; Beloved President Ho Chi Minh emphasized, “To advance to socialism, we must overcome shortcomings, that is, we must increase production, save, fight waste, and protect public property”[9]; to lead the country steadily towards socialism, successfully achieve the 100-year strategic goals under the leadership of the Party, 100 years of the founding of the country, we must definitely be determined to prevent and fight waste associated with preventing and fighting corruption and negativity./.

[1] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 7, p. 357
[2] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 7, p. 345
[3] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 7, p. 357
[4] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 9, p. 221
[5] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 7, p. 362
[6] Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, vol. 1, pp. 92, 93
[7] Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2013, p.12
[8] V. Lenin: Complete Works, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1979, vol. 45, pp. 458, 459
[9] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 11, p. 110

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