The Government of Vietnam and international donors agreed last year on the need to increase efficiency and transparency in Vietnam's public procurement system, with active support from the Government of Japan.
In December 2008, Japanese Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Vietnam was frozen when instances of corruption on Japanese-funded projects were uncovered. As a result, the Governments of Vietnam and Japan jointly agreed on an action plan to increase transparency in the public procurement process, with a key focus on establishing a code of ethics for public procurement staff.
Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) Vietnam office contracted Crown Agents to draft a suitable code of ethics to provide clear guidelines on appropriate ethical behaviour, built on existing Vietnamese laws and regulations and highlighting their ethical principles.
Crown Agents prepared a code based on previous international experiences, tailored to the local context. The team sought views from various stakeholders and reviewed local laws and regulations prior to drafting the code. The initial draft was reviewed by the "Six Banks Group" and relevant Vietnamese Government bodies before being finalised.
The Code, now implemented, provides guidance to public procurement professionals and assurance to the private sector and general public. Provisions are in place for reporting any behaviour violating the code of ethics.
Japanese ODA to Vietnam resumed upon implementation of the Code, reflecting the growing professionalism within public sector procurement. This is highlighted by the recent upgrading of the Department of Public Procurement to a government agency.