Officials and Party members in Nghe An: Building a culture of frugality and combating waste.

Ahead of the Conference, Nghe An Newspaper recorded some contributions from officials, Party members, and people in the province proposing directions and solutions for building a culture of thrift and combating wastefulness in the new era of development - the era of the nation's progress.

Comrade Cao Duc Trung – Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the District People's Council of Quy Hop: Combating wastefulness contributes to protecting the people's trust in the Party.

In this new era, as our country is striving for strong development and integration, every official and civil servant – those directly holding important responsibilities in the State apparatus – needs to enhance their sense of responsibility, public service ethics, and especially their awareness of saving and combating waste. Saving is not a small matter. It is a measure of dedication, an expression of discipline, and clear evidence of the spirit of "serving the people."

Combating waste not only helps save national resources but also protects the people's trust in the Party and the State – the most valuable asset that an administration needs to preserve.

In reality, we still have regrettable issues: cumbersome meetings, misuse of official vehicles, ineffective administrative documents, and scattered public investment. These may seem minor, but together they create a significant burden on the budget and society as a whole.

For the country to develop sustainably, the team of officials and civil servants needs to change. We need to be thrifty in every small thing: turning off the lights when leaving the office, not printing unnecessary documents, holding focused meetings, limiting unnecessary spending… More importantly, we must say no to formalism, ostentation, and waste in all forms. Leaders must set an example. Agencies must be transparent. Every official must be responsible for every penny of the people's money and every minute of their work.

When a culture of frugality permeates every action and thought, the country will have sufficient resources and confidence to move forward. Every act of saving today is a "brick" building a prosperous future. Let us together spread the culture of frugality and combat waste – not through slogans, but through concrete actions and practical results – so that our country can move forward steadily, and our people can have even greater confidence in the Party, the State, and the public servants.

Comrade Bien Van Trung - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Nam Dan District Party Committee: Promoting the spirit of self-awareness and setting an example by leaders to spread awareness.

Saving and combating waste were issues that President Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to during his lifetime, embodying the philosophy of "diligence and thrift," and he himself was a model example of practicing thrift and combating waste. This is also an issue that the Party and State of Vietnam have always prioritized, leading and directing through numerous resolutions, directives, conclusions, and specific policies, aiming to tighten management, improve the efficiency of resource utilization, and serve national construction and development. Most recently, on December 25, 2023, the Politburo issued Directive No. 27 on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over the work of practicing thrift and combating waste."

This confirms that the Party continues to promote the practice of thrift and combating waste with the requirement that: "It is a central and regular task of the entire political and social system, first and foremost of Party committees and organizations at all levels, each agency, unit, and locality; it is a cultural code of conduct for every cadre, Party member, civil servant, and citizen, especially leaders and managers, contributing to improving the efficiency of mobilizing, allocating, and utilizing socio-economic resources for national development and improving the people's lives."

Currently, in practice, wastefulness is manifested in many aspects and areas of social life; especially in the state administrative system, in terms of time and material resources, most clearly shown in basic construction investment related to inaccurate or inappropriate designs, leading to projects requiring investment adjustments or failing to achieve their intended function when put into use; or unfinished projects that drag on, wasting resources; wastefulness in the regular expenditures of agencies; in the use of public assets, etc. The fundamental cause stems from officials, civil servants, and leaders not fulfilling their responsibilities regarding practicing thrift.

Therefore, in order for the practice of saving and combating waste to be truly effective, in my opinion, the most important thing is to raise the sense of self-responsibility of each official and Party member, especially the exemplary role of leaders at all levels, sectors, agencies, and units.

If all leaders, officials, and Party members demonstrate responsibility and set a leading example, it will strongly spread awareness among individuals and society about living frugally and avoiding waste. Simultaneously, it is necessary to build strict regulations and control mechanisms, linked to accountability, so that no one dares to violate the principles of saving and combating waste.

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The spirit of thrift and combating waste was emphasized by President Ho Chi Minh from the very beginning of the Provisional Government's struggle to gain power. The Provisional Government launched the "Golden Week," the "Rice Savings Jar," and the movement to increase production... helping our people to fight against hunger, illiteracy, and foreign invaders.

It can be affirmed that, thanks to thrift and the fight against waste, we have successfully waged the resistance war and built the nation, achieving many very important results in the current process of national renewal. The late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong repeatedly affirmed, "Never before has our country had such a foundation, potential, position, and international prestige as it does today."

With the achievements made over the past nearly 80 years, our country is facing new opportunities and prospects to enter an era of national progress. General Secretary To Lam affirmed that, now more than ever, we must seize the opportunity to build a developed, strong, and prosperous country, "standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the world" as President Ho Chi Minh wished.

In my opinion, to confidently move into the new era, we must make good use of opportunities, maximize resources, and absolutely avoid waste. We must not waste time, we must not waste resources, and especially, we must not waste opportunities for development.

Wastefulness is currently occurring in many places and sectors, such as land, funds, assets, and resources within the population; among cadres and civil servants, there is also wastefulness of time and intellectual capacity. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize combating wastefulness and using resources effectively, especially land, finance, and assets.

Timely and effective implementation of the streamlining and reorganization of the apparatus is necessary, in accordance with Resolution 18 of the Central Committee (12th term) and the directives of General Secretary To Lam. The immediate priority is to select and appoint cadres with sufficient dedication, vision, and talent to undertake the tasks after the streamlining and reorganization of the apparatus.

Nguyen Thi Nga Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City: Combating outdated thinking and passive, stagnant work habits.

In the digital age, saving resources isn't just about "turning off the lights when leaving a room" or "filling up the entire page," but about maximizing technology to streamline processes, reduce paperwork, minimize formal meetings, and combat the wasteful pursuit of achievements. Each effectively implemented digital application saves time, budget, and effort for both the organization and the people.

In particular, in the context of the current merger of wards and communes, building a culture of frugality must go hand in hand with streamlining the administrative apparatus, avoiding duplication of functions, preventing waste of human resources, and at the same time, promoting transparency, openness, and tangible effectiveness. This is the time when officials and Party members need to set an example, avoiding ostentation and formality, and using the effectiveness of serving the people as the highest measure.

I believe that building a culture of frugality in the new era contributes to maintaining discipline, fostering trust, and affirming the political system's ability to adapt to changing times and achieve sustainable development for the people.

In the context of the nationwide restructuring of administrative units and a strong shift towards digital governance, we believe that building a culture of frugality and combating waste in the new era must be viewed more comprehensively, not only in terms of material aspects but also in terms of management methods and work organization.

Saving money at this time means streamlining the organizational structure, avoiding duplication, and efficiently utilizing human resources after the merger; it means promoting digital transformation to reduce paperwork, minimize formal meetings, and increase service efficiency. Combating waste is not just about preventing misuse of funds, but also about combating outdated thinking and passive, stagnant work habits in the face of the demands of the new era. Cadres and Party members – especially at the grassroots level – need to set an example, doing things correctly and genuinely so that the culture of saving can spread. Saving to allocate resources for development, and combating waste to earn the trust of the people – these are the core values ​​we need to pursue in the current period.

Mr. Dang Anh Dung - Dung Town, Thanh Chuong District: This is a very urgent and practical matter.

Saving and combating waste are inherent cultural traits of cultured people. These traits are found in both the poor and the rich, in developing and impoverished countries. Diligence, hard work, and frugality are also traditional virtues of our nation. President Ho Chi Minh was a model example of a thrifty lifestyle and the fight against waste.

However, nowadays, besides corruption and negative practices that have become a "national scourge," extravagance and wastefulness are also quite common. Looking at today's feasts, especially at ancestral worship ceremonies, weddings, and receptions, it seems that habit and vanity have led to a focus on "pretending," with much leftover food being thrown away, which is truly regrettable. Many items and equipment, such as clothing, are of good quality but are considered "outdated" and discarded. In social management, there is a phenomenon of wasting money, factories, land, public investment, labor, and time. Many areas and projects have been left unfinished for decades; many large offices are built but not fully utilized; many monuments seem impractical... If calculated in monetary terms, the figures would be surprisingly huge.

All material goods and products used to serve human life are extracted from natural resources, with the impact of human labor, technology, and time. However, these resources are limited. Some people believe that because we are now more prosperous and no longer as deprived as before, there is no need to be as thrifty. This is a misconception. While living standards have improved significantly in all aspects, a segment of the population still suffers from deprivation; they don't have enough to eat, enough warm clothes, dilapidated houses, lack electricity, water, and essential amenities. Many schools and hospitals are still overcrowded and lack equipment.

I believe that if we do a good job of preventing and combating corruption, and if everyone practices reasonable frugality and avoids waste, our country will not only "rise to prominence" but may also be able to compete with many countries that have long been considered "dragons" and "tigers" in the region!

Saving and combating waste is a very urgent and practical matter; everyone can do it within their own sphere; if everyone saves and combats waste together, the benefits will be enormous.