On October 13, General Secretary and President To Lam wrote an article “Fighting Waste”. The article has received attention from people across the country. Many opinions have analyzed and clarified the author’s thoughts and viewpoints, and especially emphasized the solutions for implementation.

Saving is the top national policy. This has been the tradition of our people since ancient times. Our ancestors advised: “Don’t leave your fields fallow/Every inch of land is worth an inch of gold”; “Work in the sunny days, eat in the rainy days/Work in the past, eat now”; “Work when you’re well, save for when you’re sick”, “Don’t neglect corn and potatoes when the harvest is good/When the harvest fails, who will be your friend?”... Since our Party was born, since Vietnam was first named on the world map, the country has continuously gone through wars, had to both fight and build the country, tightening our belts and fighting against public waste has become increasingly urgent.

On September 3, 1945, just one day after the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh chaired a meeting of the Government Council to discuss urgent tasks. Faced with the raging famine, Uncle Ho wrote the article “Sharing rice and giving clothes” published in the National Salvation Newspaper. He suggested to the people of the whole country and himself to set an example: “Go without food for one meal every 10 days, and three meals a month. Take that rice (one bowl of rice per meal) to save the poor. That way, the poor will have vegetables and porridge to wait for the next rice crop, and will not starve to death.” The thrift that Uncle Ho mentioned and the example he set were truly practical and touching!

Oil and gas workers maintain Dinh Co Gas Processing Plant. (Illustration photo)

Over the years, our Party and State have regularly paid attention to leading and directing this important task. The National Assembly has developed the Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness and regularly has inspection, supervision and timely rectification delegations.

However, besides the positive results, there are many shortcomings and weaknesses. The situation of "cutting short and biting long", "throwing money out the window", "rolling up sleeves to burn paper houses"... occurs in many places. In a report of the National Assembly, it was frankly pointed out that there are thousands of projects using State capital that show signs of waste; the total amount of money lost in 5 years is up to tens of thousands of billions of VND; tens of thousands of hectares of land are used for the wrong purpose, abandoned, and violate the law. What painful numbers!

In the new situation, with new requirements and tasks, we must continue to implement the major policy of fighting waste, in order to increase resources, mobilize people's strength, and bring the country into a new era. The work of preventing and fighting waste is facing new, urgent requirements and tasks.

As a large economic group, in recent years, implementing the policies of the Party and the State, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group has built programs in 5 main production and business areas and other areas of the Group. Prioritizing the settlement of outstanding issues to complete the handover, put into commercial operation and have feasible implementation plans for key projects.

The highlight is that Petrovietnam has an Action Program for Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness, period 2021-2025, with specific groups of solutions. Especially the solution to accelerate the restructuring of the parent company - Petrovietnam and enterprises with capital according to the restructuring project approved by competent authorities. Focus on thoroughly handling the situation of scattered and ineffective investment, through divestment and ensuring capital concentration for key production and business areas.

To ensure production efficiency, thorough savings, and combat waste, we have resolutely deployed and applied enterprise resource management and digital management solutions to change business models and optimize costs. Accelerate the progress of investment projects to put them into operation as planned. Periodically review and optimize the investment portfolio; promptly handle ineffective investments that cause capital stagnation.

Units in the group have regularly reviewed, analyzed, evaluated and promptly supplemented and revised economic and technical norms on the consumption of raw materials, fuels and materials. At the same time, labor norms, wages, and the use of machinery and equipment serve as the basis for controlling and evaluating, determining and quantifying anti-waste indicators in accordance with practical requirements. The movement to promote initiatives and improvements, and optimize techniques in construction investment, production and business has contributed to minimizing waste due to errors in production.

In addition, the units also thoroughly save energy, materials, and input costs in production. Many new technology applications are applied to management, administration, and production and business activities to improve the quality and competitiveness of goods and services. Strictly and effectively implement measures to prevent loss and waste, especially for management costs. Minimize costs for advertising, marketing, promotion, brokerage commissions, etc. In 2022, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group was assessed as a "Bright spot in practicing thrift and combating waste". For the whole year, the entire Group saved VND 5,941 billion in production, business and investment costs.

Petrovietnam's contributions to the overall picture: developing production and business along with practicing thrift and fighting waste have made an important contribution to the country's industrialization and modernization.

In the coming time, as directed by General Secretary and President To Lam, all levels and sectors need to unify their awareness of the fight against waste, considering it a fierce and complicated fight against "internal invaders", which is equivalent to the fight against corruption and negativity. It is necessary to continue to perfect and organize the implementation of waste prevention and control institutions more drastically and effectively; strictly handle individuals and groups whose actions and actions cause loss and waste of public assets.

More strongly innovate the work of building, perfecting and enforcing laws. This, in our opinion, is the core factor to prevent and combat waste, focusing on three main issues: waste of labor, waste of time, waste of money. Of course, building laws must come from practice, learn from experience as you go, not be perfectionist or hasty.

Practicing thrift and combating waste are always associated with administrative reform and ensuring the completion of assigned tasks without affecting the normal operations of agencies and organizations. Practicing thrift and combating waste are always associated with administrative reform and ensuring the completion of assigned tasks without affecting the normal operations of agencies and organizations.

Fighting waste must be carried out simultaneously with fighting corruption, bureaucracy and other negative manifestations.

Rose