HANOI: Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has called for stronger Party leadership over Vietnam's inspection system, stressing that inspections should play a broader role in improving governance and preventing corruption rather than merely uncovering violations.
Chairing a meeting on Monday with the Standing Board of the Government Inspectorate's Party Committee and senior officials, To reviewed the sector's performance following more than a year of restructuring, identified institutional bottlenecks and discussed measures to strengthen Party oversight of inspection work to meet current anti-corruption demands.
He praised the Government Inspectorate for overcoming organisational challenges, successfully implementing its new structure and managing a demanding workload while delivering positive results.
To said inspection activities had exposed weaknesses in policies, management and implementation, leading to recommendations for amendments to Party regulations, laws and policies.
He said these efforts had strengthened the institutional framework, improved Party leadership and State governance, and unlocked resources for national development.
The Party chief said the inspection sector had undergone a significant transformation, evolving from a body focused on detecting violations into a key mechanism for improving institutions and strengthening national governance.
He stressed that inspection reforms must complement wider efforts to modernise the Party's leadership, improve the socialist rule-of-law system, streamline the State apparatus, ensure the effective operation of the two-tier local administration model, expand decentralisation and improve governance.
To said the inspection system must operate in a centralised, unified and efficient manner while remaining closely connected to grassroots realities, strengthening oversight of power, maintaining discipline, protecting public interests and supporting national development.
He outlined six guiding principles for the sector.
The first is to ensure the Party's direct and comprehensive leadership while upholding the Constitution, the rule of law and strict control over the exercise of power. Inspection activities, he said, must remain objective, impartial and fully accountable.
Second, inspections must prioritise national interests, public welfare, discipline and development. They should help build a clean State apparatus, improve governance, ensure efficient use of public resources, combat corruption, waste and misconduct, while protecting officials who act responsibly and innovate for the common good.
Third, inspection work should shift towards prevention through early warning and risk control, with greater attention to high-risk sectors, localities and issues of public concern.
Fourth, the effectiveness of inspections should be measured by the implementation of recommendations and improvements in governance. Every inspection conclusion should clearly identify responsibilities, deadlines and expected outcomes.
Fifth, the inspection system should be aligned with the country's political structure and two-tier local administration model to create a leaner, more professional and efficient organisation that remains close to local communities.
Sixth, the sector should continue building a professional, honest and modern inspection workforce while strengthening internal oversight to ensure integrity, discipline and accountability.
To also instructed the inspection sector to focus on seven priority tasks, including improving inspection planning to eliminate overlap, concentrating on high-risk areas, shortening inspection procedures, improving the quality of inspection conclusions and accelerating the implementation of outstanding recommendations.
He also called for closer coordination with law enforcement agencies, greater accountability, more effective handling of public complaints, faster implementation of Government Decree No. 164/2026/ND-CP and the rapid development of a national digital platform integrating six government databases.
He further urged tighter internal discipline, stronger supervision and stricter measures to prevent abuse of power, conflicts of interest, information leaks and unlawful interference in inspection activities. VNS/ANN
