Speech by Prof.Dr Nguyen Xuan Thang, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, President of HoChiMinh National Academy of Politics at the 3rd Party Committee Congress of the Centrally-run Businesses’Sector

The Party Standing Committee of the Centrally-run Businesses Sector received First-Class Medal of Labour

The 3rd Party Committee Congress of the Centrally-run Businesses’ Sector, a crucial political event of the Party Committee, has a tremendous meaning to the orientation of transforming, integrating and developing the state business sector in the new phase. On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I would like to send the warmest greeting and best wishes to our delegates, representatives from Central sectors, ministries, departments, generations of leaders of the Sector Party Standing Committees, and especially 293 official representatives, who are all excellent party members representing nearly 82 thousand party members of the sector to attend this Congress.

This event takes place in a rapidly changing, complicated and unpredictable context of international and regional situations. At the same time, our domestic socio-economic situation is under hardship due to negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic. Public administrators, members of the Communist Party, the People and the Business community all put great expectations on the accurate and creative political decisions to create powerful breakthroughs, showing a significant role of the centrally-run businesses’ sector, especially the conglomerates, corporations and major banks, in the process of recovering manufacturing process, improving business efficiency, ensuring job security and income for the employees.

The Politburo and the Secretariat highly appreciate the preparation of the Party Committee of the Centrally-run Businesses’ Sector before the congress. You have conscientiously followed the 5th Directive by the Politburo and other Central’s guiding documents, successfully organized party congresses at different levels in the conglomerates, corporations and state banks heading towards the 3rd Party committee congress. Those events were held within the scheduled plan, with accurate legal procedure and requirements, promoting democracy, responsibility and participation of Party members, authorities and employees so as to complete the Drafts submitted at this congress.

Especially, you have successfully led, guided and implemented the double-tasks: effectively dealing with Covid-19 and maintaining stable business activities, taking care of health, security and living standard of the employees who are affected by the pandemic. Simultaneously, you have actively communicated about the Party congresses at all levels, promoting patriotic emulation movements and important occasions of the Party and the whole nation, creating a period of profound political activities. It has created an atmosphere of eagerness, trust, solidarity and unity among the whole sector’s Party committee before the congress.

Drafted documents presented at the congress were carefully prepared. They show accurate evaluation of the achievements, seriously pointing out shortcoming and drawbacks as well as the reasons for those problems, figuring out the valuable lessons learnt from those experiences of a unique centrally-run Party committee sector (with no counterparts). These documents include timely evaluation of international and national contexts, reality and requirement for developing centrally-run businesses in the new context. They also strictly follow the viewpoints and major directions in the drafted documents which will be presented at the 13th  national party congress, especially the new contents, the major tasks, the breakthrough to set key objectives and tasks as well as breakthrough phases which are relevant to the Sector’s Third party committee from 2020 to 2025. The preparation for personnel has followed accurate procedures that are relevant to the reality of the sector party committee, public, democratic, ensuring a good quantity, quality and structure in accordance with the regulations.

It has been 15 years since the sector’s party committee was founded. Although this is not a long period of time, its outstanding role in party activities has been clear shown by consistently directing and guiding the sector, thus promoting the party committees in state-owned enterprises. Via party committees at all level, it has promoted a solidarity spirit, provoked the determination to innovate, ceaselessly enhance and improve the efficiency of state-run businesses. Particularly, in the recent term, all comrades have concentrated on directing, guiding and implementing assigned political tasks to you and the conglomerates, corporations and state banks in a contextually relevant way in order to achieve y outstanding and comprehensive outcomes.

1-You have deeply grasped, accurately and creatively applied as well as effectively implemented the Resolution of the 12th  National Party Congress, the resolutions, directives and guidelines by the Party Central Executive Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat. You have continued to promote the tasks of thoroughly constructing and synchronically regulating the Party members in terms of thoughts, political views, moralities, organization and staffs. Those actions are all based on the unique features of the Sector’s party committee and the need for reform, re-organization and productivity improvement among state-run businesses in order to reform the Party’s leading methods at businesses.

In the previous term, the Sector’s Party committee established, issued and implemented a large number of resolutions, directives and conclusions (nearly 5300 documents of all kinds) in order to effectively concretize, guide and implement the Central committee’s regulations. In particular, the sector’s party committee has promulgated some resolutions which specifically concentrate on the key political tasks at state-run businesses such as: privatization and divestment at state-run businesses; welfare policies for employees; regulations on the organization and activities of businesses; working regulations of business executive committees etc. You have also cooperated with the host ministries, Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises and other stakeholders to organize meetings, conferences, forums and specialized discussions to suggest some ideas to the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Government Party Committee, the party committees at commissions, ministries and industries so as to relieve obstacles on the reform process and re-organizing the state-run businesses’ sector. The resolutions issued by the Sector’s party committee has gradually been improved in quality, more focused aligned with the reality of the conglomerates, corporations and state banks. The party committees’ role at different levels is well-positioned and appreciated. The party committee leaders are simultaneously the core leaders at state-run businesses. Basically, Chairmen of the Member's Council are also the party committee secretaries. Other members of the board of directors in the enterprises are also members of the Party standing committees. Accordingly, the leadership, power and role of party units at the state-run businesses clearly increased. In those general achievements lie the crucial role and efficient leadership of the Party Committee of the Centrally-run Businesses’ Sector.

2- The Party Committee, with its high political determination, has carried out the tasks on leadership, directions to re-organize the mechanism, consolidate the party’s organization with a reduction in contact points, downsizing personnel to become relevant to enterprises’ structure in accordance with the 5th Resolution of the Party Central Committee, the 6th Resolution of the Party Central Committee (Tenure 12) and Regulation No. 69 (Tenure 12) of the Secretariat. You have actively directed and requested the executive committees to establish projects, checked, guided and supervised the standing committees to seriously implement the Central’s resolutions. Recently, the conglomerates, corporations and state banks have all implemented this policy very well. This also shows that: when executive committees drastically participate, closely direct and guide, and the responsibilities and prestige are promoted, the businesses would soon get settled down, reach high consensus and their work efficiency would obviously improve. It is essential to emphasize that the Sector’s Party Committee has actively cooperated with the related agencies and promoted the role of its advisory units and executive committees at all levels to perform their political tasks with high efficiency and good outcomes.

3- Personnel task, being considered “key of the key” in the process of constructing the Party, has gradually been reformed to ensure the standardization according to the general regulations and specifically match the distinctive features of the Sector’s party committee and the modern business administration model. You have particularly attached importance to education and training, thus planned a team of key staffs for the party committee in the 3rd tenure, especially heads of enterprises’ executive committees. Besides, you have also appreciated the tasks of professional training on the Party construction for executive committee members, secretaries and advisory staff. The quality of the authorities and members of the whole party committees continues to be enhanced.

4- The 4th Central Resolution (Tenure 11 and 12) about constructing and regulating the Party as well as the 3rd Central Resolution (Tenure 10) about promoting the Party leadership on preventing and combating corruption and wastefulness  has been carried out, specially emphasizing the role of the business’s executive committee leaders in the process of preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness and wrongdoings, bonding with  learning and following President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, morality and style. The higher positions the authorities or Party members hold, the more exemplary they have to become. At the same time, you have enhanced the examination, supervision and implementation of the Party’s regulations with the motto “focused examining”, “extended supervision” and also post- verification. Therefore, in this tenure, there has been a considerable decrease in the number of cases in which state-run businesses arbitrarily violate rules and regulations in project bidding processes; initially resolving the loss of state’s properties and waste of resources.

5- There is an emphasis on public relations and good implementation of the emulation movement “Tactful public relations” which bonds the Party’s and government’s public relations with the implementation of grassroots democracy regulations at the businesses. Boosting emulation and reward tasks has helped to strongly provoke the positive and creative attitudes in working, managing and trying to overcome difficulties in business production.

The aforementioned outcomes in the Party construction process are determining factors which help the leaders give out effective guidance on implementing political duties about business production, especially  reforming, restructuring and improving leadership ability, competitiveness and international integration of businesses and banks; successfully implementing the tasks of social security, environment protection, socio-economic development and national defense and security.

While listening to the congress reports, I am pleased to know that our centrally-run businesses’ sector has made great efforts to achieve and complete all the goals set for the previous term although there have been difficulties in the business and production situation of the enterprises recently. Some key achievements include: a 38% rise in total revenue, an increase of 60,8% in pre-tax profits, a growth of 24% in submission to the state budget, a 18,9% increase in the possessed capital, a 9754-billion-dong support for social security which helps to ensure employment, maintain and increase  incomes for over 725 thousand workers. These are talking numbers for us to continue to claim that state-run business is a core force in the state’s economy, keeping the role of directing and guiding many important industries, fields and regions of the economy, pioneering in implementing major policies in constructing and developing the socio-economic infrastructure system, contributing to developing the economy, implementing social innovations and justice, ensuring national defense and security. It proves our Party’s accurate attitude and policy towards state-run businesses; fighting against and objecting to the false arguments from the rivals, reactionaries or political opportunists who distort about state-run businesses. It is impossible to base on inefficiency of a few state-run businesses to deny the important roles of state-run enterprises in the socialism-oriented market-driven economy of our country.

Those outstanding achievements are obtained thanks to the consistent effort of the whole Sector’s party committees during the past tenures; its unified, creative and effective leaderships and guidance in the recent term; the comprehensive participation with high determination and good effort of the Party members and employees in the businesses which are operating throughout our country as well as abroad. On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I would like to warmly congratulate and appreciate the achievements that you have gained in the recent term.

The Politburo and the Secretariat also appreciate that the Sector’s party committee has been seriously and honestly pointed out the shortcomings, drawbacks and weaknesses in the Political Report and Review Report of the executive board of the Sector’s party committee (Tenure 2). The following issues should be more deeply evaluated:

1-The executive committee’ awareness of the role of state-run businesses in some fields are not yet comprehensive and accurate. Leadership capability and battling spirit in some party units and executive committees are not high enough. There are still some misbehaved leaders, managers and party members who violate the democratic rules, lack responsibilities in leading and guiding as well as stay slow in constructing, amending and supplementing working regulations. Some businesses have not well implemented the task of planning and consolidating the executive committees. In some periods, core office titles at some businesses are vacant. The operation contents and methods of some executive committees are slowly reformed, which has not met the requirements in the new situation.

2. The quality of examination and supervision is not high enough. It is still superficial, and thus has not met the requirements of early detecting corruption and negative behaviors to prevent and combat the violations, especially in allocating budgets, managing real estate properties and resources, construction, investment and personnel tasks.

3- Some businesses still have low efficiency and contribution, which is not equal to the State’s investment and resources. The slow process of dealing with some weak businesses has left serious consequences, losing and wasting state properties, negatively affecting the prestige of the party units and the image of state-run businesses. In some economic areas, the guiding and inspiring role of businesses has not been demonstrated. The progress of privatization and divestments of some enterprises are behind the projected schedule. Leaders and the executive committees of some businesses are hesitant, indecisive and loosely connected in leading, guiding, examining and supervising the goals and procedures of re-structuring.

4- The advisory units of the Sector’s party committees and the affiliated executive committees still work without synchronization. Some units are passive; some specialized staffs in party tasks have not been professionally competent, even not grasping the principles and methods in the Party’ leadership. Especially, some executive committees mix Party meetings with the offices’ meetings.

At this congress, I suggest that you concentrate on discussing and evaluating more comprehensively not only the achievements but also the shortcomings and weaknesses; analyzing the causes so as to find out the best solutions and soon tackle the problems.

Dear my comrades,

In the next few years, the international, regional and national situations will have both advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and challenges, which create new issues and thus more complicated tasks for the party committee of the centrally-run businesses’ sector. Along with the comprehensive and synchronous promotion of reform, integration and development of our country, the party committee of the centrally-run businesses’ sector and its executive committees will hold a crucial role in provoking the desire to develop the country, concretizing the leadership in order to implement the socialism-oriented market-driven economy in which state-run businesses play the key part by directing, guiding and ensuring  the economy’s general balance, implementing social innovation and justice, enhancing national defense and security.

The representatives donated to support flood-affected people in the central region.

I highly appreciate and agree with the tasks and suggested solutions written in the drafted documents presented at the congress. Now, I would like to suggest some issues for the congress to discuss and clarify:

1-Inheriting the achievements and existing leadership method;  continuing to concentrate on building a Sector’s party committee with solidarity, transparency and comprehensive strength; improving leadership and battling spirit of the party units, executive committees, staffs and party members. As a unique party committee with no equal unit, you need to particularly bond the party constructing work with implementing the business functions through leaders in executive committees, conglomerates, corporations and state banks. These are two core contents to ensure the successful implementation of political missions held by state-run businesses. The reform in leadership of units and executive committees at the businesses must have focuses and emphasis, encouraging innovative ideas and using efficiency as the measurement. It is necessary to be fully aware of the principles in Party construction, especially democratic regulations, and appreciate the roles of executive committees at all levels. You also need to widely implement democracy among activities of party units, party executive committees in the whole sector’s party committees, maintaining the order, discipline, regulations and rules.

2- Continuing to consolidate the suitable model of party organization at state-run businesses. Reforming and improving the quality of party meetings at party units, executive committees, especially at party cells. Completing and seriously implementing rules and regulations about the working contact between executive committees and the members’ council, board of directors and general directors, so as to create consensus in leadership, guidance and synchronous implementation of party construction and business production development. Continuing to build and improve the quality of specialized resolutions in order to concretize the Party’s major and important policies about business production, especially in the mission of privatizing, re-organizing and re-structuring the businesses and personnel. It is necessary to be clearly aware of the key role of state-run businesses in ensuring the general balance among essential areas of the socio-economy, national defense and security, as well as in the areas requiring massive investments, slow cash flow and low profits, which are not willingly welcomed by the private sector but essential to the sustainability and development of the socio-economy. Timely detecting and suggesting solutions to tackle the difficulties or problems in the leadership of the executive committees and the enterprises’ activities.

3- Concentrating on improving human resources quality, including the staffs conducting Party activities in the businesses, to meet the requirements of reform, integration and development of the state-run businesses’ sector. Paying particular attention to the activities of leader staff training in business management, especially the key staffs. Promoting the role and efficiency of the state-capital representatives at the enterprises. Appreciating the role, responsibilities, missions, and rights of the leaders while bonding with examination, supervision, especially power control. Maintaining a suitable mechanism to protect the staffs who dare to think, act, innovate and take responsibilities for common benefits.

Paying attention to the tasks of evaluating, planning, training, assigning and implementing human resource policies, especially planning and consolidating executive committees and key members of the businesses, avoiding the situation of vacancy in core leading positions which might affect the activities of the executive committees, businesses and units. Particularly paying attention to developing young staff who are talented, active, creative and capable of leaderships or business management. Completing the set of criteria about appreciating specific and real role models to successfully implement Directive No.05 of the Politburo (Tenure 12) about promoting the study and practice following President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, morality and style. Continuing to promote the exemplary duty of the party member and authorities, especially the heads of executive committees and enterprise leaders. The higher position they hold, the more exemplary they should be.

Further promoting the recruitment of party members to ensure both quality and quantity. Each party member has to be exemplary, pioneering in conducting political missions, regularly study and update professional knowledge, leadership methods and management skills in order to effectively participate in the leadership of the Party units and executive committees over the enterprises’ manufacturing and trading process.

4- Continuing to promote the examination, supervision and discipline with a connection to preventing and fighting against corruption and wastefulness. Being deeply aware of the Central Resolution No.4 (Tenure 12) about constructing and re-organizing the Party, reforming the Program of examination and supervision as well as the Program of preventing and combating corruption and wastefulness with focus, feasibility and specific evaluation criteria. Promoting the publicity and transparency of all business and unit activities; firstly in the personnel and financial activities, purchase of public properties, investment on fundamental construction, investment on project construction, etc. Highlighting the accountability of the party’s executive committees and the business leaders. Strictly punishing party members who commit violations, completely without any exceptions, basing on Party disciplines, administrative disciplines and legal penalties.

Connecting the Party’s and the government’s public relations tasks; implementing order and discipline of grassroots democracy regulations. Establishing the regulations, enhancing investment on means and expenditure to improve the efficiency of the enterprises’ socio-political units. Promoting the patriotic and gratitude emulation movements or campaigns; recognizing, appreciating and rewarding the party units and party members regularly, timely, creatively and practically.

5- Promoting the collaborative leadership, guidance and participation in implementing the task of developing production and trade of state-run businesses, ensuring the comprehensiveness and synchronization between politics and economies while meeting the requirements of urgent goals and completely solving weaknesses and long-remaining problems. In the short term, it is necessary to focus on constructing high-quality Party’s units, the Party’s executive committees so that the leaders can drastically and effectively implement manufacturing and trading missions to achieve the goals and missions of the term 2020-2025. Completely tackling the unresolved projects, ensuring the progress and quality of the invested projects. Promoting the efficiency of leadership and guidance in the implementation of re-structuring, reforming and developing the efficiency of the business’ activities, with a focus on implementing Central’s Resolution No.5 (Tenure 12) about continuing to restructure, reform and developing the efficiency of the business’ activities and business administration capability; promoting technological application, improving human resources quality; establishing adaptation strategies and actively participating in the Fourth Industrialization Revolution. Pioneering in the national digitalization and step-by-step promoting the digital economy; using science, technology, information and high-quality workforce as the key driver of business development. Continuing to maintain and develop the national trademark, promoting the products’ added values and actively participating in the global value chain. Enhancing the connection among businesses through encouraging supporting industries, prioritizing the use of products and services within the Sector. Raising social responsibilities, establishing the enterprise’s culture, and encouraging autonomy as well as the workers’ work efficiency.

Promoting the skills in researching, anticipating and evaluating the situations, especially analyzing and anticipating the market in order to timely supplement and adjust business strategies to match with the reality. Specially focusing on the review of realities, multiplying the good models, practices, and exemplary representatives in the whole Party committees.

Guaranteeing incomes, job security and social security for the employees. Connecting economic development tasks with national defense and security tasks. Paying attention to establish and enhance in-service capabilities of maintaining political sustainability in state-run businesses.

Apart from an important duty of proposing the Resolution on goals, direction and missions in the next 5 years, our congress also has to vote the Executive committee of the Sector’s Party committee Tenure 3, term 2020-2025 to lead the successful implementation of the congress’s resolution. The Politburo and the Secretariat have agreed upon the Personnel project prepared by executive committee of the Sector’s party committee (Tenure2) presented at the congress.

I recommend that all of you, my comrades, to promote the spirit of responsibility, democracy and objectivity to elect the new tenure executive committee who are truly the core representatives with morality, talents, solidarity, unity and leadership skills to meet the expectations of all party committee members and public administrators and workers in state-run businesses. Also, the congress needs to consider selecting the deserving and outstanding comrades who represent the spirit and desires of the party committee to become representatives at the 13th National Party Congress.

With the promotion of innovative and creative spirit, I believe that the Party Committee of the Centrally-run Businesses’ Sector will continue to develop strongly and thoroughly, obtaining various achievements and successfully implementing the 3rd congress’ resolution; together with the whole Party, People and Army force, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party congress, devoting to the country’s development and national defense in the new period, deserving the empowerment, expectation and beliefs of the Party, the State and the People.

BBT (source: HCMA)