Loopholes in asset declarations by officials: Let the people monitor!

Mr. Pham Trong Dat, Director of the Anti-Corruption Department, pointed out a series of shortcomings in the process of declaring personal assets by public officials.

Loopholes in public officials' asset declarations.

Recently, at a press conference in Hanoi for the first quarter of 2016, Mr. Pham Trong Dat, Director of the Anti-Corruption Department, acknowledged that the current asset declaration system is merely a formality and ineffective. Therefore, in order to overcome these shortcomings, the regulations on asset declaration need to be amended, and officials should also be required to declare their assets.

Speaking to Dat Viet about this issue, Mr. Dat said that there are many reasons why the fight against corruption faces many difficulties, but mainly focuses on six major problems.

Firstly, the scope of those required to declare assets is too broad and extensive. We need to study whether or not to revise this.

Secondly, there needs to be greater transparency. Previously, there was transparency at the agency or unit level, but now it needs to be transparent at the place of residence as well so that the people can monitor it.

Thirdly, asset declarations are only verified and assessed when necessary, and not all cases requiring public disclosure have been declared.

Mr. Pham Trong Dat, Director of the Anti-Corruption Department, pointed out a series of shortcomings in the process of declaring personal assets by public officials. Photo: Zing

Fourth, there is no unified agency to maintain and compile data for verification. It remains too fragmented, mainly managed by competent authorities and information management teams, rather than by a specialized agency with the expertise to assess and handle this matter.

Fifthly, verifying honesty, monitoring, and managing corruption is very difficult, so it has not been detected; instead, it relies mainly on declarations and the principles of self-awareness and self-responsibility.

Sixth, there is no truly strong mechanism in place to reduce assets or to handle cases when they are discovered.

"Given these limitations and shortcomings, asset declaration has long been merely a formality. Therefore, when amending the Law in the future, we will have to reconsider and improve it to ensure proper implementation of the law on preventing and combating corruption," Mr. Dat emphasized.

Public officials must be subject to public scrutiny.

The Director of the Anti-Corruption Department expects that once the limitations and shortcomings in the asset declaration process are overcome, corruption among officials and public servants will be minimized, restoring public trust.

"This depends on many factors, not just the law alone. But the law also serves as a basis for proper implementation, to prevent corruption among public officials. Of course, corruption takes many other forms that need to be addressed to reduce it, but a comprehensive and highly feasible law is also one of the factors that prevents officials from exploiting their positions for corruption," Mr. Dat emphasized.

The director emphasized that it is perfectly appropriate for citizens to monitor the asset declaration process of public officials, and this is the duty and responsibility of state officials.

"We need to be transparent according to the law. What needs to be made public, how it should be made public, the time, place, and target audience—I don't think that infringes on privacy in any way."

Secondly, as an official, one must be subject to state management; only then can one truly be considered an official. If officials don't declare their income or comply with regulations, how can the people trust them? If you accept the position of an official, you must abide by and implement state regulations on management. As an official, you must allow the people to supervise you,” Mr. Dat affirmed.

According to Dat Viet