The municipal authorities have recently implemented a new initiative to actively engage with the public by establishing accessible channels to receive information. In an effort to promote transparency and accountability, the authorities have also assured whistleblowers of protection from any potential retribution or negative consequences, as per their official announcement.
The Communist Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has made it known that individuals can report corruption within the city through multiple channels. These include submitting information directly, sending it via post, or even utilizing email. The designated recipient for such reports is the city's Steering Committee on Fighting and Preventing Corruption, which consists of esteemed officials from the Party Committee.
The scope of the committee's responsibilities is limited to handling reports and allegations specifically targeting individuals in positions of authority who are under the jurisdiction of both the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Party Committee.
The committee will not provide monetary compensation for information provided by individuals who are already employed by anti-corruption agencies.
Whistleblowers are eligible for additional rewards if the information provided by them aids in preventing losses or recovering valuable assets.
The committee will additionally contemplate covering the expenses associated with obtaining advanced intelligence on anticipated future corruption.
The Party Committee ensures that the personal information of whistleblowers remains confidential and they receive protection from any potential threats.
According to the guidelines for the new policy, individuals who submit tips are required to accept full responsibility for the information they provide and bear the financial burden of compensating for any harm caused by inaccurate or false information.
The implementation of cash rewards for corruption information was initiated by the Central Committee for Internal Affairs of Vietnam's Communist Party a decade ago. Subsequently, numerous cities and provinces adopted this practice, with the latest addition being HCMC.
