Wishing the official a Happy New Year.

In December 2009, the Chairman of Hanoi City directed: No visiting or giving flowers to leaders during Tet (Lunar New Year). In December 2010, this message was repeated, further emphasized with the word "strictly prohibited".

In December 2012, the Standing Committee of the Party Central Committee signed Directive 12, which strictly prohibited giving Tet gifts to superiors during the Year of the Snake. Similar bans appeared in many sectors and localities throughout the country.

During that time, on Ha Trung Street, Hanoi's street specializing in foreign currency exchange, the leaders of the Railway Project Management Board "quietly" went back and forth many times during the Lunar New Year, exchanging Japanese Yen for Vietnamese Dong to spend. The total amount they received from their Japanese partners reached 11 billion VND.

I'm bringing up the bans on sending New Year's greetings in 2009 and the corruption case at the Vietnam Railway Project Management Board because it was revealed in court. And because of that case, although it was an economic crime and not a case of bribery or typical "diplomacy," the Japanese partners chose the traditional Vietnamese New Year to give money. They gave and spent money every year during Tet. According to the individuals involved, the money was then used for... Tet celebrations.

The Japanese haven't celebrated Lunar New Year for quite some time. They live up to their reputation for being thoughtful and meticulous, even in researching "Vietnamese official customs." They understand what Lunar New Year in Vietnam is a suitable occasion for.

That's just one visible example, a case already tried, of what goes on behind the New Year's greeting bans. Of course, Ha Trung Street during Tet doesn't just thrive on exchanging Japanese Yen, and there may be many other instances of "Tet greetings" using foreign currency that haven't been exposed yet.

This is just one example, because it's impossible to trace back the entire history of the administration to know how many directives have been issued about not visiting leaders during Tet (Lunar New Year); nor to know when the issue was first mentioned at various levels.

This is just one example, as foreign partners are not the primary subjects of the strictly prohibited "New Year greetings." Every Tet holiday, the small streets passing by the homes of many leaders risk severe traffic congestion. As Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung put it, even those coming to offer New Year greetings to leaders worry about "how long the queue will take."

When you arrive, you have to queue for who knows how long. Even the neighbors of a minor official can understand this. Cars, unable to hide themselves, crowd the streets, tea is brewed continuously, and the "New Year's greetings," in the most absurd sense, must take place quickly, and... just before Tet, to cater to the peculiarities of the times.

This year, the government has once again instructed local authorities not to travel to Hanoi to offer New Year greetings to leaders. This is not a new directive, but it still needs to be reiterated.

Bribery, or the culture of gift-giving in general, has nothing to do with Tet (Lunar New Year). But the creation of an occasion where people can openly visit each other's homes, or even offices, carrying gifts, has made it a good excuse for handshakes and promises.

The fact that all levels of government issue directives every year prohibiting New Year greetings to leaders is more effective than any statistical survey on gift-giving culture.

Government guidance remains necessary. At least in that it continues to highlight the reality and demonstrate a determination to fight, rather than allowing this seemingly obvious issue to become a default "custom."

And of course, with a government directive, local leaders have to think twice before deciding whether to go to the capital to offer New Year greetings. This could give the anti-corruption hotline another reason to ring.

But banning New Year greetings will only address the symptoms. The root cause remains the ineffective anti-corruption mechanisms that are being implemented. Supervision cannot and should not be conducted at the doorsteps of leaders. The directive to "ban New Year greetings" is issued to remind people that behind these "New Year greetings" lies profound anxiety about a system lacking transparency and an incomplete oversight mechanism.

I wonder if I'm dreaming when I hope that one day, instead of banning things, we will proudly show the Japanese that we have been able to open our doors wide to visitors.

According to VNE