National Rice Stockpiling Inspection Result Announced

The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Finance set up an inspection panel to probe into the tendered purchase of national reserve rice in 2020 at the General Department of State Reserve and 22 local State reserve departments.

Carrying out the Prime Minister's decision on assigning national reserve plans in 2020, the Ministry of Finance (specifically the General Department of State Reserve) was assigned to buy 190,000 tons of rice. According to the bidding result on March 12, 2020, a total of 28 enterprises won contracts to supply 178,000 tons for national reserves in the first phase in 2020. After the deadline of contract signing, 24 companies refused to sign the contract to supply 170,300 tons and two companies clinched a contract to supply 1,800 tons of rice, a part of their winning volume. Only two winning bidders signed contracts to supply 5,900 tons of rice in full.

For contractors who refused to sign the contract, local departments of state reserve returned nearly VND28 billion to the State coffers as per the Law on Tender.

Conducting a probe into 22 local departments of State reserve, inspectors found out that seven agencies inappropriately allowed organizations and individuals to deposit their rice in State reserve facilities. The seven State reserve agencies included Ha Bac, Dong Bac, Bac Thai, Hanoi and Ha Nam Ninh, Binh Tri Thien and Thanh Hoa.

Based on inspection results, the Ministry of Finance drastically directed its affiliated units to immediately review the responsibility of collectives and individuals who allowed the occurrence of violations, and temporarily suspend the official work of agency leaders to clarify their acts concerning the wrong deposit of rice in state reserve facilities.

The ministry will review processes and regulations on State reserve facility management to make amendments and supplements to ensure centralized and modernized supervision and management work; develop a plan to equip and install cameras at all state reserve facilities for surveillance and management to ensure the security and safety of State reserve stores.

The inspection panel shall be responsible to immediately transfer case files to the Investigation Agency - the Ministry of Public Security for investigation and handling according to law.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum