Moving from awareness to action

Kinhtedothi - In reality, wastefulness is just as harmful to society as corruption, and it has been and continues to be a very serious problem in many places, in many fields, and in many forms.

The persistent wastefulness is like termite nests, daily undermining the dike, causing budget losses and directly affecting people's lives. Successfully combating wastefulness, like combating corruption, will surely enable the country to confidently enter a new era.

Social resources are being wasted in many forms.

In his article "Combating Waste," General Secretary To Lam pointed out that the results of practicing thrift and combating waste have contributed to the great achievements of the reform process; achieving and surpassing most of the socio -economic development goals and targets over the terms of office.

Besides the achievements, looking directly at the truth, General Secretary To Lam also pointed out the reality and persistent existence of waste in many areas, from natural resources, national budget to human resources, time and effort, public assets… and even “invisible” forms of waste such as waste of opportunity, waste of potential, and especially waste in the state organization and management system…

During parliamentary discussions, this issue is always a "hot" topic as delegates focus on analyzing the waste of social resources in "stalled projects and abandoned constructions." These include wind and solar power projects that have been built but never put into operation; thousands or hundreds of thousands of apartments built and then left vacant or unfinished, standing defiantly against the passage of time; and construction projects that have been underway for decades but remain unfinished...

A view of the conference announcing the Decision to establish the Steering Committee of the Hanoi People's Committee on implementing measures to prevent and combat wastefulness, which took place at the end of November. Photo: Pham Hung

National Assembly representative Nguyen Huu Thong (Binh Thuan province delegation) stated that while we may not yet have truly complete statistics on waste, the figure is no less than hundreds of trillions of dong, not to mention the related negative consequences. For example, the waste of land resources, the waste of development opportunities for businesses and the country... is immeasurable, and above all, it is the waste of the people's trust.

The 15th National Assembly once conducted supreme oversight of "the implementation of policies and laws on practicing thrift and combating waste during the period 2016-2021." Notably, the oversight report totaled 93 pages, but nearly 60 pages were dedicated to listing shortcomings, limitations, and their causes. "This means that waste and losses are visible everywhere," as National Assembly deputies have observed.

Information released after the monitoring revealed that wastefulness manifested itself in many ways, particularly in the areas of state budget management, basic construction investment, public procurement, land management, and public assets, causing losses of national resources. The figures presented at the time prompted delegates to exclaim, "It's truly heartbreaking." Between 2016 and 2021, there were 3,085 projects using state capital that resulted in losses and waste; the total amount of money lost and wasted over the five years was 31,800 billion VND; and 74,378.7 hectares of land were used for improper purposes, left fallow, or violated the law...

Recently, at the meeting announcing the results of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption, waste, and negative phenomena (October 30th), statistics showed that there are currently 9 construction projects, 22 electricity and industrial projects, 15 transportation projects, 7 projects in the fields of education, culture - sports - tourism, and 4 agricultural projects that need to be addressed to prevent and combat corruption.

"Diagnose the disease correctly, prescribe the right medicine."

Over the years, the entire political system, from the central to local levels, has considered practicing thrift and combating waste as an urgent task. Many specific regulations on this issue have been clearly stated in the Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Waste. Most agencies and organizations have developed and issued programs and action plans on combating waste, but the effectiveness of implementation has not met expectations.

Regarding the causes of waste, Deputy Chair of the National Assembly's Judicial Committee Mai Thi Phuong Hoa stated that some officials still have a tendency to underestimate the importance of combating waste in their management activities. For a long time, they have only considered waste as an issue that needs addressing, but not as serious enough, nor as a dangerous act for society. Furthermore, some officials still believe that waste is merely the inefficient management and use of state capital and assets, but in reality, there is also waste of opportunities and time.

Clearly defining the responsibilities of the entities, organizations, and individuals involved in the losses and waste is a practical necessity. According to Professor Hoang Van Cuong (former Vice Rector of the National Economics University in Hanoi), the figures—speak volumes about hundreds of projects, hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, and tens of trillions of dong wasted—are heartbreaking. This wastefulness has been ongoing for a long time, and we all recognize and understand it; it urgently needs to be addressed decisively. To resolve this issue, we must clearly identify the responsibility of each individual and organization.

Under the direction of General Secretary To Lam, the entire political system has identified and included the field of combating waste in the Steering Committee for preventing and combating corruption. From awareness to action, synchronized solutions from the lowest to the highest levels in practicing thrift and combating waste are being implemented, such as reviewing and decisively handling slow-moving projects, streamlining the apparatus, etc. In particular, building a culture of combating waste throughout society has become a set of ethical and social norms, incorporated into the regulations of each agency and unit with a focus on…

According to experts, while wastefulness still exists, practicing thrift and combating wastefulness must become a regular and continuous effort in all agencies, departments, and among all levels of the population. In the public sector, combating wastefulness is not just about enforcing legal regulations, but must become a way of life for each individual, and this is the deepest root of the problem. Along with this, strictly punishing cases of deliberate wastefulness and a lack of awareness of the need to combat it will be a particularly important solution to create more resources to promote development.

 

Corruption leads to the misappropriation of public assets into private property, and wastefulness causes the loss of both public and social assets, diminishing societal benefits. Thus, wastefulness is a very broad category, encompassing corruption. Therefore, the National Assembly has enacted the Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness, and annually requests the Government to report on the implementation of this law.

Wastefulness occurs in all areas, whether in agencies, organizations, or among the general public; therefore, combating wastefulness becomes a universal, pervasive action, which can be regulated by law, but more importantly, it must become a consciousness, a habit, and a culture in practicing frugality.

Professor Hoang Van Cuong (former Vice Rector of the National Economics University, Hanoi)

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/chong-lang-phi-chuyen-tu-nhan-thuc-sang-hanh-dong.html