Party chief encourages thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness combat

Following is the full text of the Party leader’s article through a translation by the Vietnam News Agency:

PRACTISING THRIFT

To Lam

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee

Thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness combat are intrinsically linked bet88 con two pillars essential to achieving prosperity, whether at the level of family, nation or society. Practising thrift bet88 con fighting wastefulness are necessary in the daily life of each individual bet88 con society as a whole, serving as a “cornerstone” in building a civilised society bet88 con sustainable development. This must be a shared responsibility bet88 con should become a way of life, a daily cultural norm for each of us.

Vietnamese culture has long upheld thrift bet88 con simplicity as core values. The practice of thrift has been distilled into proverbs bet88 con folk sayings passed down orally from one generation to the next, such as: “Good at spending brings fullness, good at managing ensures warmth,” “The poor with thrift has a better ending than the rich with wastefulness,” “Do not leave land uncultivated/Every inch is worth its weight in gold,” “In good harvests, do not neglect maize bet88 con sweet potatoes/ In hardship, who do you think would be with you?” bet88 con “Spend within limits, use with measure,” as well as “Thrift ensures financial readiness/ Avoid troubling others in times of need…”

President Ho Chi Minh, the great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution, set a shining example of thrift practice. Immediately after leading the August Revolution to victory, facing the simultaneous threats of famine, illiteracy, bet88 con foreign invasion, at the first meeting of the provisional government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 3, 1945, he outlined six urgent tasks. He highlighted the launch of a national movement to increase production bet88 con practise thrift to fight hunger bet88 con rebuild the country. Uncle Ho repeatedly explained the meaning of thrift so that it would be understood bet88 con applied properly: “What is thrift? It is being frugal, not extravagant, not wasteful, not careless... Thrift does not mean being stingy. When something is unnecessary, even a single coin should not be spent. But when it comes to worthwhile causes, for the people, for the Fatherland, no matter how much effort or money it requires, we must be willing. That is true thrift. Thrift demands a firm opposition to extravagance... Extravagance is a crime against the nation bet88 con the people.” For him, thrift was a vital art of the social life. He stressed the importance of saving labour: “One person should be able to do the work of two or three.” He also stressed time management: “Be punctual, don’t arrive late or leave early. Work quickly bet88 con thoroughly. Complete today’s tasks today, don’t put them off for tomorrow. Remember that the people pay us with their sweat bet88 con tears, wasting time is deceiving them.” He demanded the Government spend money bet88 con resources economically, save people's labour, save the lives bet88 con blood of soldiers bet88 con citizens: “We must cherish human resources as our most valuable asset. We must take great care of people’s health bet88 con use their labour wisely.” “Wealth can be regained bet88 con time will come again, but once a soldier’s blood is shed or life is lost, it cannot be recovered. Therefore, “it must preserve every drop of our people's blood to build our nation's future.” He also urged thrift in speech: “Say little, do much,” bet88 con “Begin with action.”

Throughout the revolutionary periods, the Party bet88 con State have paid special attention to thrift practice, regarding it as a top national policy. During wartime, under the leadership of the Party bet88 con President Ho Chi Minh, with the pioneering of Uncle Ho, cadres bet88 con Party members, every citizen practised reasonable spending bet88 con thrift, tightened their belts, endured hardship, bet88 con sacrificed personal comforts to direct all resources to the front lines, contributing to national liberation. Since the Doi Moi (Renewal) period, the Party has issued various policies bet88 con directives regarding this work, including Directive No. 21-CT/TW issued on December 21, 2012 by the 11th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on promoting thrift bet88 con preventing wastefulness; Directive No. 27-CT/TW dated December 25, 2023, from the 13th Party Central Committee’s Politburo on strengthening the Party’s leadership in this field; bet88 con Directive No. 42-CT/TW dated January 16, 2025, also from the 13th Party Central Committee’s Politburo, on enhancing the Party’s leadership in educating values of diligence, thrift, integrity, righteousness bet88 con impartiality; the Politburo's Directive No. 05-CT/TW dated May 15, 2016, on promoting the study bet88 con practice of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality bet88 con style, which clearly states the need to “organise widespread study, dissemination bet88 con communications…of Ho Chi Minh’s views bet88 con moral example on diligence, thrift, integrity, righteousness bet88 con impartiality”; bet88 con Regulation No. 37-QD/TW dated October 25, 2021, by the Party Central Committee, on things prohibited for Party members, including “organising lavish, wasteful weddings, funerals or other personal bet88 con family-related events." To institutionalise the Party's directives, in 1998, the 10th National Assembly's Standing Committee issued an ordinance on thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness prevention, which was elevated to the Law on Thrift Practice bet88 con Wastefulness Combat by the 11th National Assembly in 2005, bet88 con later revised bet88 con supplemented by the 13th National Assembly in 2013. The 2013 Constitution mandates that “State agencies, organisations, bet88 con individuals must practise thrift bet88 con fight wastefulness, bet88 con prevent bet88 con combat corruption in socio-economic activities bet88 con state management" (Article 56). Each year, bet88 con in multi-year periods, the Government issues comprehensive programmes on thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness combat.

With efforts to realise the Party's policies bet88 con State laws, meaningful progress has been made in thrift practice across the Party, people, bet88 con army. Organisations bet88 con individuals, especially cadres bet88 con Party members, have focused on cutting regular expenses bet88 con promoting the role of leaders in thrift practice. Some agencies bet88 con units have announced in writing that they will not receive congratulatory flowers during congresses or anniversary events as a way of thrift. Many year-end or review conferences are now conducted more briefly bet88 con efficiently, using online formats bet88 con avoiding printed materials to save time bet88 con money. Shared vehicles for senior officials on business trips has been adopted in numerous locations. Idle land bet88 con long-delayed planning projects have gradually been addressed. The management bet88 con use of office buildings are now conducted with the right purposes bet88 con within regulated limits bet88 con standards. Many businesses have tightened control over production costs, especially indirect expenses, to reduce product prices, while reducing production bet88 con business costs, strengthening consumption norm management, bet88 con enhancing the efficiency of production bet88 con business operations. Particularly, since late 2024, in line with the conclusions of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo bet88 con the Secretariat have led bet88 con directed the basic completion of the restructuring bet88 con streamlining of the organisational apparatus the Party, Government, National Assembly, bet88 con Vietnam Fatherland Front at both central bet88 con local levels. This has reduced the number of units, cut expenses, bet88 con created the conditions for immediate implementation of the policy on school fee exemptions. Preliminary estimates suggest that under the policy approved at the 11th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on provincial mergers, the dissolution of district-level administration, bet88 con commune-level consolidation, the State budget will save more than 20 trillion VND per year in regular expenses annually from 2025 to 2030. From 2030 onwards, annual savings are projected to exceed 30 trillion VND. This does not yet take into account the value of over 18,500 buildings that will no longer serve as government offices under the new two-tier local administration model.

Despite some progress, thrift practice still faces significant challenges bet88 con yields very low effectiveness. Existing policies bet88 con directives on thrift have not been fully realised; wastefulness bet88 con losses of state assets bet88 con budgetary resources continue on a broad scale, causing serious consequences. Thrift practice has yet to become a regular habit, bet88 con thrift remains absent from the daily consciousness of many cadres, Party members, civil servants, bet88 con the public. Wastefulness is not confined to state agencies but also appears in everyday social activities. A penchant for foreign-branded bet88 con luxury goods, extravagant gift giving, bet88 con a consumerist mindset among some citizens, especially the young, while average incomes nationwide have just surpassed the middle-income threshold bet88 con labour productivity remains low. Although there are exemplary cadres bet88 con Party members who uphold Party ideals bet88 con lead efforts in practising thrift, combating wastefulness, managing public assets responsibly bet88 con resisting the lure of power bet88 con luxury, there remain many, including a few leaders, who lack responsibility, indulge in material comforts, cause budgetary bet88 con asset losses, bet88 con use public funds for personal spending or interest group.

The root causes of these shortcomings include a lack of responsibility bet88 con resolve among some agencies, organisations, bet88 con individuals; incomplete or ambiguous policies, rules, bet88 con regulations with loopholes; bet88 con occasional, perfunctory implementation of thrift bet88 con anti-waste measures. Certain ministries, sectors, bet88 con localities have not proactively devised solutions to integrate thrift bet88 con anti-waste practices into their respective domains. The Law on Thrift Practice bet88 con Wastefulness Combat has not truly permeated daily life; its provisions remain too general, failing to establish effective mechanisms for enforcement. Programmes on thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness combat often remain symbolic bet88 con have not been embedded into the operations of agencies, units, localities, families, or individuals. Clear targets, indicators, bet88 con evaluation criteria are lacking. Although many cases of waste bet88 con violations have been identified, handling remains slow; commendations for those practising thrift or exposing waste are not issued promptly, undermining compliance. Inspection on thrift bet88 con anti-waste at all levels has yet to achieve significant impact.

At its 11th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee, the Party strongly endorsed landmark decisions, including further streamlining the political system’s organisational structure, merging some provinces, dissolving district-level administrations, bet88 con consolidating communes. These reforms lay the groundwork for fundamentally improving thrift practice nationwide in this new era. To fulfill the highest standards set by the 11th Plenum, namely “high-quality, rapid, bet88 con sustainable development,” along with “proactiveness, self-reliance bet88 con autonomy in development,” to achieve the overarching goals of “stability, development, bet88 con improvement of people's lives” bet88 con meet the two centennial objectives, alongside creating a lean, strong, bet88 con efficient, valid bet88 con effective organisational apparatus, it is crucial to address the following:

First, recognise that practising thrift bet88 con combating wastefulness are fundamental solutions enabling the nation to overcome all storms amid a volatile international landscape that directly bet88 con substantially affects socio-economic development bet88 con social welfare. History has shown that thrift has been a decisive factor in generating immense strength for our entire Party, people, bet88 con army, even when the country was impoverished, people faced severe hardship, bet88 con “hunger” stalked the land; we still “tightened our belts,” devoted resources to the resistance, bet88 con won military victories against powerful colonial bet88 con imperial forces to liberate bet88 con reunify the nation. Facing new difficulties bet88 con challenges, with our resilient, indomitable spirit bet88 con unity across the political system bet88 con society, diligently embracing thrift bet88 con fighting wastefulness will generate vital internal resources to propel sustainable economic growth, ensuring the country advances steadily toward strategic objectives while better caring for people’s livelihoods. Therefore, every citizen, agency, unit, organisation, bet88 con business must develop concrete plans bet88 con implement collection bet88 con spending rationally. Cadres bet88 con party members, especially leaders, should set exemplary examples, mobilise their families bet88 con communities to participate actively, bet88 con across all sectors, occupations, bet88 con households, promote production bet88 con business, enhance productivity, quality, bet88 con efficiency, bet88 con rigorously practice thrift to minimise waste of time, money, assets, bet88 con human effort.

Second, strongly implement fundamental solutions to create substantial changes in practicing thrift bet88 con combating waste. The focus is on: (i) Focusing on perfecting institutions, creating a basis to thoroughly overcome wastefulness caused by institutions, removing barriers, difficulties, bet88 con obstacles that hinder development, clearing bottlenecks to create a foundation for development, especially issues related to bidding, budget, public investment, private economy, science bet88 con technology, innovation, digital transformation bet88 con the revolution in streamlining bet88 con streamlining the apparatus of the political system. It should early research, amend bet88 con supplement the Law on Thrift Practice bet88 con Wastefulness Combat, creating a comprehensive bet88 con solid political bet88 con legal basis for thrift practice in all sectors, all professions, all cadres, party members bet88 con people. (ii) Minimising administrative procedures bet88 con compliance costs, creating the greatest convenience for people bet88 con businesses; shifting from pre-inspection to post-inspection, eliminating the "ask-give" mechanism; decentralisation bet88 con delegation of authority to competent agencies bet88 con localities to resolve bet88 con take responsibility. In 2025, it should ensure that 100% of administrative procedures related to enterprises are carried out online in a smooth bet88 con effective manner; 100% of administrative procedures are not limited by provincial administrative boundaries. (iii) After arranging the organisation of the political system to be streamlined, lean bet88 con strong, in order to operate efficiently, valid bet88 con effectively, the very fundamental factor is to focus on building a team of cadres with good knowledge, skills bet88 con working attitude to achieve the highest efficiency in each area they are responsible for. In particular, management skills, task execution; passion, enthusiasm bet88 con responsibility in each job, each assigned task; standard culture in communications, behaviour, bet88 con awareness of saving… are requirements for cadres in the new organisational apparatus. (iv) Tightening discipline in financial bet88 con budget management bet88 con use; practising thrift, combating wastefulness, effectively using state financial resources in conjunction with mobilising social resources bet88 con streamlining the apparatus. Strengthening management bet88 con use of public assets, ensuring compliance with standards, norms, regimes bet88 con requirements of tasks, focusing on arranging bet88 con handling assets, especially houses bet88 con land in conjunction with streamlining the apparatus. Resolutely bet88 con thoroughly economising unnecessary expenditures to ensure resources for natural disaster bet88 con epidemic prevention bet88 con control, supplement development investment capital bet88 con economic development; striving to further increase the rate of breakthrough expenditures for science bet88 con technology development, innovation, national digital transformation, bet88 con support for private economic development. (v) Creating a legal corridor bet88 con resources for the private economy to develop, promote the spirit of entrepreneurship bet88 con innovation throughout society, creating conditions for all people to have the opportunity to contribute, increase labour productivity, bet88 con enrich themselves, their families bet88 con society.

Third, build a culture of thrift; make the thrift practice bet88 con wastefulness combat "self-conscious", "voluntary" bet88 con "daily norm akin to eating, drinking bet88 con dressing". Research, launch bet88 con maintain the annual "national thrift day" to promote bet88 con spread the movement throughout society to raise awareness of practicing thrift. Promote the campaign "studying bet88 con following the ideology, morality, bet88 con lifestyle of Ho Chi Minh"; promptly reward bet88 con commend exemplary cadres, soldiers, bet88 con people who have initiatives in work bet88 con economic development that bring practical results in practicing thrift; have strict disciplinary measures against collectives bet88 con individuals, especially heads of agencies bet88 con units in the political system, bet88 con party members who fail to fully comply with the Law on Thrift Practice bet88 con Wastefulness Combat. Continue to promote the fight against corruption, wastefulness, bet88 con negativity, considering this one of the fundamental solutions contributing to building a culture of thrift.

In his report to the 4th Congress of the Communist International, V.I. Lenin emphasised, “In any case, we must streamline the state apparatus, must economise as much as possible. We are economising in all things, even in schools. We must do this, because we know that if we cannot save heavy industry, if we cannot restore it, we will not be able to build up an industry at all. bet88 con without an industry, we will inevitably perish bet88 con we will no longer be an independent nation.” Beloved President Ho Chi Minh emphasised, “In the process of building socialism, thrift is a great policy, a great morality, a way of working bet88 con living that must never be neglected.” To bring the country firmly into a new bet88 con successful era, our entire Party, people bet88 con army must strive to practise thrift bet88 con fight wastefulness.