Former HCMC chairman warned over violations

The Politburo, Vietnam Communist Party’s decision-making body, warned on Friday Nguyen Thanh Phong, former chairman of Ho Chi Minh City, for work-related violations.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, 16 days after the Party Central Inspection Committee proposed the Politburo consider taking disciplinary action against Phong.

Phong is also former deputy chief of the city’s Party Committee and currently a Party Central Committee member and deputy chief of Party Central Economic Commission.

According to Party Central Committee’s Office, after considering the inspection committee’s proposal, the Politburo found that the Party leaders of HCMC People’s Committee in the 2016-2021 term had violated the principle of democratic centralism, working regulations; lacked responsibility; showed loose leadership and direction.

As a result, the people's committee, many organisations and individuals had violated the Party’s regulations and State laws on state asset and financial management, giving rise to many criminal cases, many Party organisations and Party members being disciplined, and many officials and Party members facing criminal charges.

Phong, as HCMC Party Committee's deputy chief and People’s Committee chairman, violated the regulations on Party members’ conduct and regulations on a leader's responsibility to set a good example.

"Nguyen Thanh Phong is mainly responsible for the violations and shortcomings of HCMC's Party leadership and People’s Committee in the 2016-2021 term. He is directly responsible for his own violations and shortcomings in the performance of duties."

The Politburo assessed that Phong’s violations “have caused very serious consequences” that are difficult to remedy, causing a great loss of state property and budget as well as frustration in society and among cadres, adversely affecting the reputation of Party organisations, the local government, and Phong personally.

Phong, 60, has a doctorate in economics. In August 2021, he was appointed deputy chief of the Party Central Economic Commission.