Action at the provincial and local level can make a difference in the fight against corruption, but it requires strong political leadership, increased transparency and greater autonomy and independence of the institutional set up. These were some of the key messages that emerged from the recent Anti-Corruption Dialogue Regional Roundtable, co-chaired by the UK, the Government Inspectorate and the Office of the Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption in Quang Ninh, Da Nang and Can Tho.
Speaking at the 11th Anti-Corruption Dialogue, which this year is focusing on anti-corruption at the provincial level, Fiona Lappin, Head of DFID Vietnam said: “The UK was delighted to be the lead donor to work with GI and OSCAC in organising the recent regional roundtables. Taking the Anti-Corruption Dialogue to the provinces for the first time was an exciting new development. It offered the Government and Development Partners a unique opportunity to discuss anti-corruption efforts at the provincial level. It also allowed the provinces, donors and international experts to share best practice from local, national and international experience.”
“It was clear from our discussions in all three regions that some provinces are already making the existing legislative framework work for them. There are impressive examples of provinces encouraging inward investment by promoting transparency and making it easier for businesses to establish themselves and operate efficiently. In Ninh Thuan, the local authorities have created an Economic Development Office to streamline administrative procedures. This not only saves businesses time and money, but also reduces the risk of corruption. In Lao Cai the authorities have gone beyond the existing transparency requirements by not only providing information, but also by creating opportunities for citizens and businesses to participate in policy making, feedback and supervision,” added Fiona Lappin.
During the roundtables, provincial representatives, central government and development partners also highlighted a number of challenges that need to be tackled to encourage sustained improvements at the provincial and local level.
There are clearly loopholes in the existing legislation which need to be closed, however much can still be done more effectively within the existing framework, especially where provinces go beyond the minimum requirements as witnessed in Ninh Thuan and Lao Cai and through other positive examples from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap and Tay Ninh.
At the same time steps must be taken to address the shortcoming, such as the lack of an access to information law and inadequate sanctions and enforcement measures under the anti-corruption law and criminal code.
The institutional set up needs to be independent, autonomous and properly coordinated to reduce the risk of conflicts of interest and deal effectively with the investigation and sanctioning of those found guilty of corrupt practices.
Oversight needs a radical overhaul as accountability mechanisms at the local level have not kept pace with devolution. Provincial People’s Council’s and The Fatherland Front have a mandate, but lack the capacity, power, expertise and in some cases the will to carry out their role. Citizens and civil society haven’t been fully involved in the discussions and wider anti-corruption agenda. An effective mechanism to deal with citizens’ denunciation and protect whistle-blowers is yet to be developed.
The media needs to be able to do more than simply disseminate official messages on corruption. They have to be able to access information and to investigate and report corruption cases without fear of prosecution or retribution. This comes with a responsibility on their part to report in an ethical manner.
“Having had the real benefit of sharing experience and learning directly from the provinces about what is working and the challenges they are facing, the Anti-Corruption Dialogue on 6 December gives us an opportunity to bring these important issues back to the national level. We can see that there is a need to get smarter about tackling corruption, by using data, such as the diagnostic survey that was launched last month, by focusing on hot-spots and by promoting good examples, whether they are local, national or international. At the same time there is a need to offer real incentives for good performance and better leadership. Transparent recruitment and promotion procedures form part of this, but it is equally important to reward those who succeed. And that example needs to be led from the centre,” concluded Fiona Lappin.
Giang Tu
Vietnamese
