Thang’s backing for a proposal to collect “personal vehicles fees” from car and motorbike owners as well as fees for cars entering or leaving downtown areas in major cities during rush hour has generated heated public debate.
The Government Inspectorate has announced that it has found wrongdoings at PetroVietnam and at a press conference held Thursday (April 5) to announce results of the agency’s first quarter activities, deputy chief inspector Ngo Van Khanh, said the “responsibility of the leader (of PetroVietnam)” had to be considered.
“However, sometimes the wrongdoings were deliberately made by subordinates who have already admitted their responsibility,” he said, answering questions from reporters.
Minister Thang was chairman of PetroVietnam between October 2006 and August 2011.
Khanh said the responsibility of entities and individuals for wrongdoings at Petrovietnam will be assessed and made available to the public.
Inspectors said the state-owned group had been found making investments in non-core businesses like finance, insurance, real estate and banking that proved less profitable than it main business.
Other wrongdoings include the purchase of an old seismic survey ship without reporting to relevant agencies and hiring contractors without the mandatory bidding process, they said.
They have proposed that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructs relevant agencies to retrieve more than VND1.6 trillion (US$76.9 million) that Petrovietnam paid in advance to other companies for investment. They said some of the recipients had made no plans to return the money and others had not been able to make repayments.
The inspectors have also proposed that relevant agencies affix responsibility and punish those involved in other wrongdoings involving more than VND18 trillion, including VND2 trillion from equitization of its affiliates, the Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) reported, without mentioning more details.
Khanh said at the press conference that Prime Minister Dung has agreed with their proposals on dealing with PetroVietnam’s wrongdoings.
He said Dung has instructed Petrovietnam to review its investments in non-core businesses and make proposals to solve its financial problems.