Hanoi (VNA) ও- Party General Secretary To Lam has demanded strong and comprehensive actions to make breakthroughs in the combat against wastefulness across society, highlighting the prevention and fight against wastefulness as an immediate and urgent task in 2025.

The Party chief was chairing the 27th meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Corruption, Wastefulness, and Negative Phenomena in Hanoi on December 31. The General Secretary, who is also head of the Central Steering Committee, asked for further intensified, decisive, and effective efforts against corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena to serve the successful organisation of all-level Party congresses as well as the performance of the nation's critical and urgent tasks. Major focuses for 2025 include swiftly perfecting the institutional framework for wastefulness prevention, reforming the organisation and operation of agencies in the political system following streamlining efforts, and building and effectively implementing a national strategy on wastefulness prevention and combat to make breakthroughs in the work at both central and local levels. At the same time, it is necessary to promptly complete the review and devise solutions to delayed, prolonged and low-efficiency projects that have caused significant losses and wastefulness. Results of this review must be reported to the Steering Committee in the first quarter of 2025, General Secretary Lam requested. The leader clarified the crucial need to effectively enforce the regulations on power control while improving the efficiency of measures for preventing corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena. Besides, corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena must be prevented from their roots, digital transformation boosted, and the people's supervisory role in the work enhanced. He underlined the need to review the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, along with the plans and programmes on anti-corruption, wastefulness and negative phenomena that have yet to be carried out to include in the 2025 agenda, while evaluating efforts since the beginning of this tenure to supplement and complete related contents in the 14th National Party Congress’ documents. The leader pointed to the need that the fight against corruption, wastefulness and negative phenomena should not impede socio-economic development or enable the abuse of anti-corruption efforts for personal gain. At the meeting, participants noted that in 2024, important progress has been seen in the prevention and combat of corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena at both central and local levels. During the year, 709 Party organisations and 24,097 Party members were disciplined for violations. The Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, and Inspection Commission disciplined 68 senior officials under the Party Central Committee's management. Notably, for the first time, the Politburo disciplined two former key Party and State leaders for their wrongdoings. Meanwhile, significant progress has also been made in recovering misappropriated assets. In 2025, the Steering Committee aims to conclude investigations and settlement of 26 serious cases and nine incidents. Priority will be given to investigating, prosecuting, and holding first-instance trials for cases involving Phuc Son Group, Thuan An Group, Vietnam Electricity, Thai Duong Group, Vietnam Rare Earths Joint Stock Company, the Sai Gon - Dai Ninh project, and Nha Trang Airport. The committee agreed to conclude its oversight of 10 cases and three incidents previously under its supervision, as these have been resolved in accordance with the law./.