The Ministry of Finance has adopted measures to better control publicassets as Tran Duc Thang, Director General of the Public AssetManagement Department told Tin Tuc (News) Newspaper.
*Will youplease provide an overview of the public assets managed by VietnameseGovernment offices and organisations across the country?
The term"public asset management" by Government offices and organisationscovers buildings, land, cars or anything worth more than 500 million VND(23,500 USD).
According to the latest data released by theMinistry of Finance (MOF), by December 31, 2013, the total public assetsmanaged by the ministry was about 930.2 trillion VND (43.7 billionUSD), excluding the public asset used by the armed forces and Vietnameseoffices abroad.
The total assets managed by the MOF consisted ofthose managed by local governments (74.12 percent in value and 87.62percent in quantity) and central government (25.88 percent in value and12.38 in quantity).
In 2013, the Government and the PrimeMinister adopted various measures to promote the practice of thrift andto combat waste during the implementation of the national plan onsocio-economic development.
That is why the increase in publicprocurement in 2013 mainly came from buying specialised auto-vehicles,health care and education equipment and facilities. In short, theincrease in total public assets value last year was 25.3 trillion VND(1.2 billion USD), much smaller than in previous years.
*How do you evaluate the use and management of public assets in recent years?
Therehas been much improvement. In my opinion, a factor leading to sucheffective use and good management of public assets is the practice oftransparency and accountability in all government agencies/officesacross the country.
In addition, the practice of decentralisationand empowerment has enabled public entities, from the centre down tothe grassroots level, to make the best use of the public asset theyhave.
In 2013, the practice of thrift in public procurement waswell implemented by ministries, sectors and agencies across the country.
Worthyof note, a pilot project on central procurement launched in 2008 hasproven very effective. The project has saved hundreds of billion dongfor the state coffer.
Based on lessons learned in the last fiveyears, the MOF has proposed the establishment of a procurement centre.It would offer services relating to public procurement, organise biddingof liquidated assets or lease public assets.
The proposal is now on the Prime Minister's table waiting for approval.
*Does the MOF have any plan to improve public asset management?
In2014, the MOF will continue to focus more on the management of publicassets. For example, we will tighten our control over financial policiesso that we can achieve the goal of practising thrift on constructioninvestment and in public asset procurement, particularly in the buyingof auto-vehicles.
The other important plan the MOF wants toimplement this year is to review the use of public properties (buildingand land) to make sure they are properly used in the course of nationalsocio-economic development.
Last but not least, the MOF willreview all the existing legal documents on the management and use ofpublic asset, including standards and norms applied in publicprocurement and construction investment.
Our ministry has vowed to strictly penalise violations of the laws on public asset management.-VNA
*Will youplease provide an overview of the public assets managed by VietnameseGovernment offices and organisations across the country?
The term"public asset management" by Government offices and organisationscovers buildings, land, cars or anything worth more than 500 million VND(23,500 USD).
According to the latest data released by theMinistry of Finance (MOF), by December 31, 2013, the total public assetsmanaged by the ministry was about 930.2 trillion VND (43.7 billionUSD), excluding the public asset used by the armed forces and Vietnameseoffices abroad.
The total assets managed by the MOF consisted ofthose managed by local governments (74.12 percent in value and 87.62percent in quantity) and central government (25.88 percent in value and12.38 in quantity).
In 2013, the Government and the PrimeMinister adopted various measures to promote the practice of thrift andto combat waste during the implementation of the national plan onsocio-economic development.
That is why the increase in publicprocurement in 2013 mainly came from buying specialised auto-vehicles,health care and education equipment and facilities. In short, theincrease in total public assets value last year was 25.3 trillion VND(1.2 billion USD), much smaller than in previous years.
*How do you evaluate the use and management of public assets in recent years?
Therehas been much improvement. In my opinion, a factor leading to sucheffective use and good management of public assets is the practice oftransparency and accountability in all government agencies/officesacross the country.
In addition, the practice of decentralisationand empowerment has enabled public entities, from the centre down tothe grassroots level, to make the best use of the public asset theyhave.
In 2013, the practice of thrift in public procurement waswell implemented by ministries, sectors and agencies across the country.
Worthyof note, a pilot project on central procurement launched in 2008 hasproven very effective. The project has saved hundreds of billion dongfor the state coffer.
Based on lessons learned in the last fiveyears, the MOF has proposed the establishment of a procurement centre.It would offer services relating to public procurement, organise biddingof liquidated assets or lease public assets.
The proposal is now on the Prime Minister's table waiting for approval.
*Does the MOF have any plan to improve public asset management?
In2014, the MOF will continue to focus more on the management of publicassets. For example, we will tighten our control over financial policiesso that we can achieve the goal of practising thrift on constructioninvestment and in public asset procurement, particularly in the buyingof auto-vehicles.
The other important plan the MOF wants toimplement this year is to review the use of public properties (buildingand land) to make sure they are properly used in the course of nationalsocio-economic development.
Last but not least, the MOF willreview all the existing legal documents on the management and use ofpublic asset, including standards and norms applied in publicprocurement and construction investment.
Our ministry has vowed to strictly penalise violations of the laws on public asset management.-VNA
