Vietnam's Anti-Corruption Drive Continues Under To Lam: 'To the End'?

Vietnam's General Secretary and President To Lam has reiterated his commitment to combating corruption, waste, and negativity, emphasizing a 'to the end' approach, a shift from his predecessor's 'burning the furnace' metaphor. At a September 17 meeting of the Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Waste, the case involving Viet My Medical Investment Joint Stock Company and related entities was added to the list of monitored cases. This investigation has led to the arrest of three company leaders, a Deputy Minister of Health, and two officials from Phu Tho province for alleged smuggling, tax evasion, and bribery. Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan has been expelled from the Party, the most severe disciplinary measure. Previously, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung also faced similar consequences. In his closing remarks, To Lam stressed the principle of 'doing more, saying less' and 'going to the end,' advocating for a systemic approach to power control rather than just addressing individual cases. Since his re-election as General Secretary in January 2026, To Lam has pledged to continue the anti-corruption drive, which he terms a fight against 'internal enemies.' Waste, in particular, has been a key focus since 2024. In May, former Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was sentenced to six years for "Violating regulations on management and use of state assets causing loss and waste," related to hospital construction projects that reportedly caused losses of over 800 billion VND. While she received money from subordinates, she was not prosecuted for bribery. In the aviation sector, the Long Thanh International Airport project has seen over 30 individuals charged in relation to corruption. To date, these individuals have voluntarily compensated over 756 billion VND. The government is also pushing to finalize the disposal of surplus state properties resulting from administrative reforms by the end of 2026 to prevent further waste. Over the past nine months, approximately 3,500 Party members have been disciplined, including two incumbent deputy ministers and a former deputy minister. High-ranking officials at the provincial level have also faced expulsions. The campaign, which began under Nguyen Phu Trong, continues with vigor, with authorities aiming to accelerate investigations, prosecutions, and trials for several key cases, including those involving the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and the National Power Transmission Corporation. Source: BBC Vietnamese