Half Of Vietnamese Firms Bribe Officials: Survey

[george]

Half of Vietnamese firms bribe officials: survey

HANOI, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Nearly 50 percent of Vietnamese companies admit to bribing officials in order to bid on contracts, a new survey shows, but experts say the real figure could be far higher.

About 80 percent of businesses in the communist country reported that corruption had hurt their operations, according to a Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) survey released Wednesday.

Nearly 50 percent of respondents said they had to pay bribes -- often in the form of cash, expensive gifts or luxury holidays -- to officials in order to bid on contracts to provide items or services to the public sector.

"The true picture of corruption might even be more serious than these figures suggest," said Le Dang Doanh, a senior economist and former government adviser.

The survey reflected "just a part of a painful truth that Vietnamese companies are suffering now -- they are facing many difficulties," he told AFP.

"State officials must be supervised in an open, transparent and independent manner. These officials have relied too much on their personal relationships in the handling of business," he said.

"The corruption issue is not yet settled and (this survey) sends that warning signal to the authorities. Administrative reforms should be more real and effective."

The survey interviewed 270 businesses and a cross section of entrepreneurs, business associations and civil servants across Vietnam.

Some 63 percent of firms interviewed said the business licensing system was complicated and unclear, and was a key driver of corruption.

Conrad Zellmann, of the non-government Towards Transparency organisation, said the survey was a "timely effort" to raise awareness of the role of business in addressing corruption as Vietnam works to meet its commitments under UN anti-corruption conventions.

At a national conference earlier this year, the communist party discussed ways to tackle graft and rising inequality, which officials said posed the "biggest risks to the ruling party."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-04-06

[drdoom6996]

And all of Thai firms bribe offcials. NEWS PLEASE.

[Baerboxer]

And all of Thai firms bribe offcials. NEWS PLEASE.

Haven't you just committed slander and / or libel?

[tutsiwarrior]

corruption is endemic in VN and permeates every level...then the westerners get in on the show and the place becomes impossible to work in; if the western bosses on my last assignment there tried that in the west they wouldn't only be dismissed in disgrace but they would also go to prison...then you got party officials demanding discipline when their kids got into university by party privilege...and people just take it as they know that there is nothing that they can do...countryside poverty is horrible with people dying as there is no treatment available...little kids tending cattle in bare feet in the winter when they should be well fed and in school but their parents can't afford the cost...fat, ridiculous party bosses loving their association with the biggest 'party' in town...it ain't no different than Thailand...a disgrace...

it's such a drag as VN is a beautiful place with resources and a hard working population...with neverending corruption things will never change and they will remain a dirty, run down 3rd world country forever...

Ho Chi Minh would be in tears...

[bendejo]

Only half?

[NomadJoe]

Only half admit to it.

As for Thailand, you don't need to be an expert to know that it is long standing tradition for a huge percentage of the bid, sometimes up to 60% goes to the person or people determining who gets the bit, according to one US official that has worked with Thailand for decades and still does.

.

Edited April 15, 2012 by NomadJoe