by Nguyen Hong

Vietnam is the second most corrupt nation in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Government officials are often too wealthy in relation to their official salaries. Now, they will be required to list all the properties and luxury items they own to enable the authorities to determine whether they are were obtained unlawfully or not. The new anti-corruption drive stems from a recently signed agreement with Malaysia.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) – The Government of Vietnam will now require all public officials to declare their assets, including luxury items. This measure is part of its renewed fight against graft and corruption, government newspapers recently reported. The action follows a new agreement signed with Malaysia on prevention of corruption in the public and private sectors.

Corruption is one of the most serious problems in Asia. In countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, it is widespread within the public sector and among large companies, but it also touches local government. Billions of dollars are lost this way.

The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), a consulting firm specialising in strategic business information and analysis for firms doing companies in Asia, has listed Vietnam as the second most corrupt country in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. In a recent report, it noted that Vietnamese public servants are too wealthy in relation to their official salaries; this leads to abuse of power and corruption as well as a lifestyle of excess. 

In Vietnam, 77 per cent of the workforce is employed in agriculture and the unofficial economy. Poverty level among ethnic minorities (14 per cent of the population) is over 50 per cent.

Although the extraordinary expansion of the economy in the last few years has cut poverty level, which dropped from 22 per cent in 2005 to 11 per cent this year, it has also created new social problems like corruption, poor living conditions for migrants, and more seizures of rural land on behalf of foreign companies.   

The latest anti-corruption campaign is not the first one Vietnam has undertaken. Indeed, it tried several times to stamp out corruption in the past, but failed.

• vietnam
• corruption
• drive
• economic
• development
• growth
• communist
• party