Administrative discipline and public service ethics

(Baonghean) - Following a surprise inspection, the People's Committee of Nghe An province directed relevant departments and localities to continue inspecting the implementation of Directive 17 of the Provincial Party Committee on strengthening administrative discipline and order in agencies and units in the province.

Inspections have shown that Directive 17 has brought about positive changes in the operations of state agencies. Officials and employees are more strictly adhering to administrative discipline; the situation of arriving late, leaving early, abandoning posts during working hours, and engaging in personal activities at the office... is gradually being overcome; in particular, the regulation prohibiting drinking alcohol during working hours and lunch breaks is being well implemented by many agencies and units.

However, during the review of the implementation of Directive 17, one issue that needs clarification is the relationship between administrative discipline and public service ethics. Strengthening administrative discipline and order will contribute to improving public service ethics, and only with improved public service ethics can administrative discipline and order be ensured. But in reality, not every instance of adhering to administrative discipline reflects true public service ethics. Many civil servants arrive on time, spend eight hours a day in their offices, and show no signs of violating labor discipline. Yet, in reality, their work quality and efficiency are low due to various reasons: limited capacity, lack of creative thinking, indifference to collective work, etc. These are the types of civil servants who "carry their umbrellas to work in the morning and carry them back home in the evening," appearing to strictly adhere to administrative discipline but in reality unable to perform their duties.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called these civil servants "the kind that are optional, whether you have them or not."

There is a particularly difficult group to detect: civil servants who, while performing their duties, abuse their positions and roles to enrich themselves personally. With sophisticated self-serving calculations, these officials always appear to strictly adhere to administrative discipline, outwardly not violating agency regulations. Hidden behind this facade of integrity, these officials are often opportunistic, engaging in actions that damage the agency's reputation and cause internal disunity. For this type of official, administrative discipline checks alone are insufficient to detect and prosecute them; stronger measures are needed, such as inspecting and supervising Party members and promoting criticism and self-criticism.

No one denies the role of administrative discipline and order in improving public service ethics. Strictly enforcing administrative discipline and order creates the best environment for each official and employee to work effectively and fulfill their responsibilities to the people. Loosening administrative discipline and order creates a negative environment for officials and employees to pursue personal gain, leading to a decline in public service ethics. It is necessary to recognize that the fundamental factor in building public service ethics is the conscience and responsibility of each official and employee towards the people; avoiding merely "formal" adherence to administrative discipline and order.

The relationship between administrative discipline and public service ethics must be viewed dialectically, and many practical cases must be resolved reasonably and compassionately. For civil servants who formally adhere to administrative discipline merely to avoid criticism, while their work is ineffective, their competence and sense of responsibility must be reviewed. The situation where state agencies become places where civil servants simply "carry their umbrellas to work and return home in the evening" to collect their salaries and other benefits cannot be allowed to continue. For capable civil servants who have shortcomings that prevent them from strictly adhering to administrative discipline, appropriate educational measures must be taken to prevent administrative discipline from "strangling" their creativity in the workplace. For civil servants who are corrupt and use administrative discipline as a cover for self-serving motives, their actions must be exposed and resolutely dealt with.

Thus, Directive 17 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee serves as a "tool" to establish administrative discipline and order in state agencies. However, based on administrative discipline and order, it is necessary to build public service ethics for each official and employee in order to fully implement Directive 17 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee.

Tran Hong Co