Fighting corruption and recovering assets remain a big challenge for Vietnam, domestic and international experts said at a roundtable on anti-corruption measures in Hanoi on October 28.

Vietnamese experts and their peers from embassies and international organisations said although there was an increase in the amount of recovered assets, it was still well below expectations.

The Government Inspectorate reported that authorised agencies so far this year uncovered 54 corruption cases with a total appropriated amount of 68.5 billion VND (more than 3.26 million USD). Approximately 68.5 percent, 46.9 billion VND, was recovered, 18.3 percent more than that of the same period last year.

Meanwhile, police at all levels investigated 415 corruption cases with stolen funds worth over 6.7 trillion VND (over 319 million USD). Approximately 22.3 percent of the money, more than 1.5 trillion VND, was recovered and returned to the State budget, a year-on-year increase of 14.1 percent.

A number of corruption cases were recorded in public investment, the management of State-owned capital in enterprises, and the implementation of social welfare policies, the inspectorate stressed.

During the workshop, delegates said corruption is now a global challenge regardless of the political system, geographical location, or culture.

Vietnam is a developing country, with its market economy under completion and its economic structure being transformed, while its public administration capacity remains limited. Corruption prevention is therefore a long-term issue in the country, they said.

Participants urged Vietnam to continue perfecting its apparatus and mechanisms to coordinate on recovering stolen property and conducting asset and income declarations.

Vietnam also needs to improve the capacity of agencies specialising in corruption prevention and control, and build a monitoring mechanism, they said.

The roundtable was organised by the Government Inspectorate, the Ministry of Justice, the UK Embassy and the UK Department for International Development. Its outcomes will be reported at the 13 th Dialogue on Anti-Corruption, which is scheduled for November 26 in Hanoi.

VNA/VNN