Minister Mai Tien Dung: "Cadres must be aware that wherever they go, there will be someone monitoring them."

- The government of 2018 is "discipline, integrity, action, creativity, efficiency", in 2019 the two words "breakthrough" are added to the motto of action. What does this mean, sir?

- Discipline and integrity are the core contents in the Government's management. In 2019, the Government set requirementscreative, breakthrough, effective development. This is the end of the term, so "breakthrough" is very important to complete the set targets. "Breakthrough" needs to be done in many areas, but in the end it is about institutions, mechanisms, policies... To make a breakthrough, a very strong breakthrough is needed. When practical life requires it, the Government will create conditions for piloting, then summarize and build the Law.

In amending the Law, because it takes a lot of time, the most difficult things should be fixed first, otherwise it will be difficult to do without removing everything. Breakthroughs in mechanisms and policies must be very strong. We have 5,000 individual business households, if there is no breakthrough mechanism, no one will turn into an enterprise.

In addition, implementing Resolution 18 on streamlining the payroll, if there is no strong breakthrough, it cannot be done, and if it is done without high efficiency, it is not stable. In 2019, we must do well in electronic payment, must have connections, have transparent and public online public services. From there, reduce petty corruption.

The General Secretary and President, when speaking at the Government meeting with localities, said that "socio-economic development targets in 2019 must be higher than in 2018". To achieve this, it requires the determination of the entire team of cadres, civil servants, and the entire political system, not just the Government.

Minister, Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung. Photo: Ha Nguyen

- To have a "breakthrough", cadres are the most important force. Recently, the Central Government has also issued a decree setting an example. So how will the Government and you yourself implement this regulation?

- After the Central Committee issued the regulation, the Government Party Committee assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs Party Committee to study it, and when it is finished, it will be issued. I think that the responsibility of setting an example for cadres and party members, especially members of the Politburo, Secretariat, and Central Committee is very important, so that each person must examine themselves, the higher the position, the more self-consciously one must set an example.

As a member of the Government, I think the first thing is to train myself and do well the assigned duties. The Government Office is an advisory body, but if it does not dare to propose actions, it is not good to be timid. There are things that the Prime Minister is concerned about and requests the Minister and Head of the Government Office to give his opinion, then I must have a separate report. If I am wrong, I must take responsibility.

Directives and advice must be strong. For example, when advising the issuance of Directive 34 related to Tet, I myself must be a good example. The regulation that no public vehicles are allowed to enter pagodas and temples is something I cannot do.

I went to the Russian Federation and found it very interesting. Every citizen is a press agency. If garbage is dumped in the wrong place or a car is parked in the wrong place, people will take a picture with their phone and send it to the State agency. It is the same in our country. In the era of technology 4.0, every official must be aware that wherever they go, people will be monitoring them.

- The Central Government's regulations state "not to let relatives, wives and children live in luxury and waste". What does the Minister think about this regulation??

- This rule is very correct. Extravagance is not saving, showing off, still buying unnecessary things. This is different from family, using good things to serve life. Children wearing nice clothes, wearing a good watch is also normal.

The Government of this term also issued many action programs to implement the Central Resolutions, especially the Central Resolution 4 of the 11th and 12th terms, to combat degenerate and corrupt ideologies. The issue of rectifying the work of cadres and improving the quality of cadres and civil servants of the entire political system was also implemented.

The regulation of setting an example during strategic planning is very important because it creates self-awareness and supervision of the people. The community will know very clearly if you do not set an example because this is public and everyone knows.

- The Minister once said that reformers must be passionate and dedicated to do so. Officials who carry out reform must dare to face and confront group interests. So how did the Minister deal with this problem?

- I discussed with Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung and Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung that fees must be collected because investment through mechanisms and policies must be collected to recover capital. But fees must be considered for adjustment, and if necessary, they must be abolished. In fact, there is a regulation that the fee is only over 1 million VND, but when people come to pay, the official fee is small and the unofficial fee is large.

I go to work, with the participation of the press, so all issues are public and transparent. If I say something wrong, I will accept it, admit my mistakes, if I say something right, I am not afraid, because I did not do it to bring it home. I am afraid if you tell me to cut this or that and bring it home. The leaders of the Party, the State, and the Prime Minister are so strong, but if I do not do it, I am guilty, and if I see things that are offensive to the eyes and ears and just ignore them, that is not acceptable. Then how can we call it a working group, a staff agency, an agency that detects and prevents it?

I myself come from the countryside and have also participated in business, so we know the suffering of the people and businesses. If people have a chance for a split second, they will become successful. If they lose the chance, that's it.