The practice of local officials extorting money from businesses still persists.

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, although the Government and the Prime Minister have been paying utmost attention and creating favorable conditions for businesses, in reality, harassment of businesses still occurs frequently and blatantly, a typical example being the practice of extorting funds.

National Assembly representative Nguyen Sy Cuong speaks before the National Assembly. Photo: Quochoi.vn.

During the plenary session on the afternoon of November 2nd, raising the question of why many pressing social issues remain unresolved, National Assembly representative Nguyen Sy Cuong (Ninh Thuan) argued that the only explanation could be "lax management".

According to the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, even if the state apparatus itself does not create social unrest, it is created by civil servants and officials. Regarding a series of incidents such as: the collapse of a stone quarry killing dozens of people; the landslide at a waste dump burying several families; the capsizing of an illegal yacht, killing many people; and the fire at a karaoke establishment in Hanoi that killed many people..., Mr. Cuong said, "the authorities only come to announce they will review and handle the violating establishments after the incidents occur." According to the representative, this should have been done long ago, not waited until the incidents happened.

Representatives from Ninh Thuan province also stated that, although the Government and the Prime Minister have been paying utmost attention and creating favorable conditions for businesses, in reality, harassment of businesses still occurs frequently and blatantly.

Recounting a voter's story, Mr. Nguyen Sy Cuong frankly stated: "Local authorities, including the functional agencies located in the area, may not know everything, but they know exactly what kind of businesses are operating in the area! They regularly visit and check on them!"

However, the irony is that "the visits aren't for checking or rectifying any issues, but to ask for financial support. Previously, they only asked during the Lunar New Year, but now they ask for it on any occasion, even during holidays. They ask for it during summer vacation, even for organizing conferences - here, businesses call it 'extortionate begging.' If they don't give it, they'll face trouble. Businesses say they haven't done anything wrong, but they still have to accept it," the representative said, expressing his frustration.

The issue of the quality of the civil service was also raised by many National Assembly deputies during today's discussion. Accordingly, even if the government is determined to fight corruption and build an "honest" civil service, if the people who make up that system—officials and civil servants from the grassroots to the central level—are not honest, the goal will be difficult to achieve.

Earlier, delegate Nguyen Huu Cau (Nghe An province) also suggested that, in some cases, officials and civil servants who violate discipline should be dismissed in order to increase deterrence.

Duong Gim