Editor’s note: Do Thi Minh Thuy, 60, visualizes Vietnam as a corruption-free country in the next two decades in her submission to the “Ky Vong Viet Nam 20 Nam Toi” (“My Expectations for Vietnam in 20 Years”) writing contest.

I dream that streets in my neighborhood would no longer be congested and polluted and under the grip of horrendous, fatal traffic accidents.

The dream could have come true, as a street with an investment worth billions of dong was opened to traffic, to residents’ elation. Their exaltation was short-lived, however, as not long after the inauguration, the street experienced serious sinking, with its concrete and asphalt protruding and creating treacherous potholes.

I dreamed of being tended to at hi-end hospitals boasting a team of dedicated, skilled medical staff. However, the multiplication of testing results plunged me into despair.

As Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Hong said, “No one imposes taxes on dreams, but dreaming must be accompanied by actions and the best efforts.”

So I just keep dreaming. I now dream that in the next two decades, the city would no longer have streets being repeatedly dug up, as some members of the project management board have pocketed part of its earmarked funding.

I also dream that everyone would land a job with stable income and not fall prey to labor brokers, or be disadvantaged by those with good relationships. State-owned companies would no longer cause whopping losses due to their incompetent staffers and officers who use bogus degrees or hire someone else to complete their studies.

I dream that there would no longer be legal cases involving former civil servants who are linked to the underworld. No investigative officers would cause miscarriage of justice to citizens, and no teachers would receive bribes in return for good marks.

In a nutshell, all these dreams are feasible if they are not shattered by bribe-taking “pests,” who help retard the country’s growth, contaminate moral standards and undermine residents’ faith in the State and the Communist Party of Vietnam.

State President Truong Tan Sang acknowledged that such “pests” are corrupted by money and land. Corruption is currently a thorny problem. In 2014 alone, 256 cases and 593 defendants were uncovered and indicted, with losses totaling up to thousands of billions of dong.  

I still hold a conviction and cherish hopes that such depraved officials would be eliminated from society in the next 20 years.

Let’s act together

The combat against corruption is an intense, challenge-packed fight indeed. However, nothing would be impossible with concerted effort from the entire society.

It’s about time each of us joined the State and the Party in such combat, and devised an urgent action plan.

+ As for civil servants and Party members:

State officials and Party members are all supposed to be corruption “terminators,” and set shining examples for people. They should also train themselves to stay immune from tempting offers of personal gain, and keep a watch on one another to prevent offenses.

They also need to strongly condemn bribing, not turning a blind eye to violators and giving them the penalties they deserve.

State officials must also be fully conscious of their capacity and not try to cling onto their positions at any cost, causing losses for the country and people.

For instance, there are State employees who do not go to university, but use fake degrees to receive salaries intended for those with a university education, or advance to higher positions. Such acts would certainly lead to corruption and require tough penalties.

+ As for the State:

The State should take good care of its officials and staffers with salaries and bonuses in accordance with their abilities and overall expense levels.          

The State should recruit or promote personnel depending on their own abilities, not on their relationships. The practice of recruiting children of officials at agencies, irrespective of their abilities, should be scrapped. This practice has adversely impacted agencies’ work performance and may lead to neglect of duty.

The administrative agencies should also tighten their management and inspection so as to detect wrongdoings and deter violators.

For instance, in places where house construction is not permitted, a number of State officials take bribes and turn a blind eye to illegal construction.

The government should also encourage and guide locals to engage in the combat against corruption, as people are the government’s “spies.” It takes joint efforts to triumph over corrupt officials. The government should also provide proper protection and rewards for whistleblowers. 

+ As for people:

People should be wary enough not to fall prey to corrupt officials and inadvertently become bribe givers. Once, after I registered for a temporary residence record, a civil servant told me to pay the fee for a residence book. I gave him a banknote of VND100,000. He took it and thanked me. I later found out that others paid a mere VND10,000 for a book like mine. I then realized I had unwittingly given a bribe.

People should also properly exercise their right to be a “master.” They should make wise, prudent decisions when it comes to selecting representatives during elections.

Citizens should also be brave and resolute enough to denunciate bribing.

I believe that if all of society joins hands, corruption would be eradicated in 20 years’ time.

We dream and take actions to the best of our ability, which is key to realizing our dreams.