Tougher laws aim to curb corruption

Officials who falsely disclose their properties and income could be demoted or dismissed from their duties, according to a new Government decree.

Decree 68/2011/ND-CP, which was issued to amend Decree 37/2007/ND-CP, regulates how officials are required to disclose their properties and income for anti - corruption purposes.

In the old decree, people who were not honest would be given a warning or docked wages, depending on the level of dishonesty.

Under the new decree, people must supplement their annual written statement of property if their property changes by more than VND50 million (US$2,440) in value.

The written statements must be posted in public or announced in meetings in offices where they work within at least 30 days in the period of December 31-March 31.

The written statements of candidates standing for election to the National Assembly and People\'s Council must also be posted in public in their offices and residence.

State office leaders must be responsible for giving guidance and organising the declaration work. If they do not complete their responsibility, they will be blamed, given a warning or their wages docked.

Those having to declare under the decree include candidates standing for the National Assembly and People\'s Council, heads and deputy heads of divisions in people\'s committees and police department from the district level upwards, hospitals\' and institutes\' directors, deputy directors, division heads, division deputy heads and main doctors, newspapers\' editor-in-chiefs and deputy-editor-in-chiefs, school principals and deputy principals, directors, deputy directors, chief accountants and division heads of state-investment projects and state-run companies.

The decree will come into effect on September 30.