Hanoi (VNA) – The Party Central Committee’sCommission for Internal Affairs and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) co-organiseda seminar in Hanoi on June 8 to seek ways to improve sanctions againstcorruption in Vietnam’s anti-corruption law.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Internal AffairsCommissions Vo Van Dung said the Party and State of Vietnam always considercorruption prevention and control as a regular, important and urgent task.

Sanctions against corruption have continuallybeen amended over the past years, he noted, admitting the fact that the existingsanctions remain incomplete. For example, there have not been any sanctionsagainst illicit enrichment or leaders of agencies and organisations wherecorruption occurs. Current sanctions are also not flexible enough toeffectively recover corrupt assets.

UNDP Vietnam Deputy Country Director Akiko Fujiisaid Vietnam should pay attention to the effectiveness of measures forcontrolling asset recovery and persons with unlawful enrichment, legalentities’ criminal responsibility in corruption fight, and more effectiveenforcement of the Anti-Corruption Law.

At the seminar, Dr Dao Le Thu from the Hanoi LawUniversity presented a report on a study on the perfection of sanctions againstcorruption in Vietnam’s anti-corruption law. The report pointed out legislativeshortcomings in the existing sanctions and suggested improvements.

Nguyen Dinh Quyen, Director of the NationalAssembly’s Institute for Legislative Studies, said although it is necessary tooverhaul the legal system on anti-corruption, conditions or regulations forenforcing anti-corruption regulations have not been ensured.

He elaborated that it is very difficult to provean enrichment activity is illegal since there have not been strict regulationson asset declaration and the verification of those declarations. Meanwhile,there are many obstacles to recovering assets as Vietnam lacks a foundation forclarifying which assets come from corruption and which are from other incomesources.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever said thefight against corruption needs to be carried out in a transparent manner whilesanctions and methods must show justice to win the public’s trust. Vietnam’santi-corruption sanctions, including death penalty, are relatively stringent,but they lack high deterrence and effective enforcement.

The UK will continue supporting Vietnam and theUK Embassy will work closely with local agencies in combating corruption, headded.

At the event, Christopher Batt, a representativeof the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also shared the UK’s experience in buildinglaws on reclaiming assets.-VNA