The Ministry of Industry and Trade disciplines officials for visiting temples during working hours.

Due to attending temple ceremonies during working hours, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has imposed a disciplinary measure of salary reduction on Mr. Bui Quang Hung, Director of the Export Support Center, Trade Promotion Department.

Recently, the Disciplinary Council of the Ministry of Industry and Trade convened to review the extent of the violation and recommend disciplinary action against Mr. Bui Quang Hung, Director of the Export Support Center under the Trade Promotion Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for attending a New Year's religious ceremony during working hours.

The Prime Minister has strictly prohibited officials from visiting temples during working hours.

The five-member disciplinary council of the Ministry of Industry and Trade convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh, the council's chairman.

The Council heard Mr. Bui Quang Hung, Director of the Export Support Center, present a self-criticism report regarding attending religious ceremonies during working hours at the beginning of the year, and heard a report from the representative of the Trade Promotion Department on the results of the plenary session of the Export Support Center to review the performance of officials who participated in these ceremonies.

The council spent time analyzing Mr. Bui Quang Hung's shortcomings both as a public official and as the head of the Export Support Center.

All speakers unanimously agreed that Mr. Bui Quang Hung's actions constituted a serious violation of labor discipline, the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants, and especially Directive No. 26/CT-TTg dated September 5, 2016, as well as the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch dated February 2, 2017, and should be dealt with severely.

In addition, the Council members also acknowledged Mr. Bui Quang Hung's serious, open-minded, and sincere attitude during the review, especially his refusal to use excuses like leave of absence or sick leave to justify his actions, and his willingness to accept a disciplinary measure higher than a warning.

After considering the circumstances, the Council held a secret ballot to recommend disciplinary action against Mr. Hung.

Based on the vote count results, the Council unanimously recommended that the Minister of Industry and Trade apply the disciplinary measure of demotion in salary to Mr. Bui Quang Hung. On February 22, 2017, the Minister of Industry and Trade signed the Decision to discipline Mr. Bui Quang Hung with the form of demotion in salary.

Following the direction of the Minister of Industry and Trade, on February 20, 2017, the Disciplinary Council of the Trade Promotion Department also met to consider and propose disciplinary measures against officials and employees of the Export Support Center who participated in New Year's religious ceremonies during working hours. The Council unanimously recommended a warning for 7 department-level officials of the Center and a reprimand for 2 other officials and employees.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade leadership agreed with this proposal and on February 23, 2017, authorized the Director of the Trade Promotion Department to sign the disciplinary decision against the aforementioned individuals.

According to VNN