HCM city Inspectorate contributes to improving business environment

In recent years, the agency has promptly identified acts of harassment or undue obstruction of businesses by public officials, recommending disciplinary actions and administrative reforms to reduce “sub-licenses” and cumbersome procedures — thereby protecting the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises.

Over 1,000 inspections conducted

According to Chief Inspector of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Trần Văn Bảy, in the first nine months of 2025, the city carried out 140 inspections, including 34 unannounced ones. Conclusions have been issued for 117 inspections across 213 entities.

These inspections uncovered economic violations amounting to VND 15.89 billion, with VND 1.7 billion proposed for recovery to the state budget and VND 14.18 billion subject to other financial measures. Administrative sanctions were proposed for 33 organizations and 141 individuals, and four cases involving one individual were transferred to investigative authorities.

Regarding post-inspection follow-up, 440 inspection conclusions were to be implemented during the reporting period, including 282 pending from previous cycles. Of these, 135 have been completed, while 305 remain in progress.
Implementation of recommendations resulted in the recovery of VND 49.39 billion to the state budget (81.3%); other economic measures involved VND 1.26 billion out of VND 1,155.54 billion (0.001%); 124 out of 126 organizations and 728 out of 770 individuals faced administrative action; and four cases were referred to the police for investigation.

The Inspectorate also conducted 10 inspections into the implementation of legal regulations on inspection, integrating responsibilities for citizen reception, complaints, denunciations, and other administrative aspects across 17 agencies. All 10 cases were concluded, recommending administrative action against 4 organizations and 12 individuals.

Inspecting delayed and ineffective projects

Under Plan No. 1505/KH-TTCP dated July 22, 2025, of the Government Inspectorate, and the city’s Plan No. 20/KH-UBND dated July 29, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee directed enhanced inspection of projects facing delays, inefficiencies, or risks of waste and loss. The city’s Inspectorate examined 94 such projects and coordinated with ministries, departments, and local authorities in 20 projects concurrently under the Government Inspectorate’s review.

Twelve inspection teams were established to investigate these 94 projects. Out of these, 34 projects had already been inspected and concluded by central or provincial agencies, including the Central Inspection Commission, the Government Inspectorate, and various ministries, so further inspection was waived.

Before July 1, departmental inspectorates conducted 1,055 inspections (337 planned and 718 unannounced), issuing conclusions for 815 cases across 6,083 organizations and 9,888 individuals.

Violations totaling VND 13.23 billion were detected, with VND 40.5 million proposed for recovery to the state budget and VND 13.19 billion for other corrective measures.

Administrative penalties were imposed on 663 organizations and 948 individuals through 1,611 decisions, totaling VND 47.15 billion (VND 36.22 billion for organizations and VND 10.92 billion for individuals). Additionally, 159 organizations and 89 individuals faced alternative sanctions, and 8 cases (7 from the Health Department) were transferred to investigative bodies.

Through these activities, the Inspectorate contributes to building a clean, transparent administration — a key foundation for strengthening business and investor confidence.

Transparency to improve PCI indicators

To enhance the city’s 2025 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has prioritized improving component indicators and eliminating bottlenecks.

For the “informal cost” index, agency heads are instructed to strengthen discipline, promote civil service ethics, and enforce anti-corruption and thrift regulations. All public officials must strictly avoid harassment or burdensome administrative practices toward citizens or businesses.

Authorities are also directed to rigorously investigate and sanction misconduct and to hold leaders accountable where such behavior occurs — thereby improving satisfaction levels and transparency in public service delivery. The Prime Minister has also instructed localities to end all forms of informal payments in administrative and business procedures.

According to Chief Inspector Trần Văn Bảy, the city continues to implement Directive No. 35-CT/TW (May 26, 2014) of the Politburo and other directives from the City Party Committee and People’s Committee to strengthen leadership over citizen reception and complaint resolution. The Inspectorate is also working to promptly resolve long-standing, complex cases involving multiple complainants.

Following Decree No. 141/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 2, 2025, which defines the division of powers between two-tier local governments, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 3330/QĐ-UBND (June 28, 2025) announcing two amended administrative procedures in the fields of complaints and denunciations at the commune level — ensuring continuity in processing pending cases until new laws on citizen reception and complaints are adopted.

Towards a transparent and investor-friendly governance

Chief Inspector Trần Văn Bảy noted that recent administrative mergers have affected inspection operations, but the department is adapting accordingly. In the final quarter of 2025, the Inspectorate will revise its annual inspection plan to align with the merger of Ho Chi Minh City, former Bình Dương, and former Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu administrative units.

It will complete ongoing missions, accelerate pending ones, and prepare the 2026 inspection plan in line with directions from the Government Inspectorate and the City People’s Committee, ensuring consistency with the Party Congress’s 2026–2030 objectives.

Particular emphasis will be placed on completing and enforcing inspection conclusions, ensuring recommendations effectively address shortcomings and improve state management efficiency — especially in handling problematic projects.

As Vietnam’s leading economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City’s inspection work goes beyond identifying and penalizing violations — it focuses on prevention and fostering transparency, thereby reinforcing business confidence and promoting sustainable socio-economic growth.