Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday urged localities and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports to step up inspections of upcoming New Year festival celebrations to ensure the events are held in a solemn and safe manner.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

The ministry must conduct inspections and impose punishments for negative behaviours such as service fee hikes at festivals, he said.

In a dispatch sent to ministries, sectors and localities on the first working day of the Lunar New Year, the PM ordered cadres, civil servants and public employees to follow administrative and labour disciplinary practices, especially no delays due to the Tet holiday and those related to production, manufacturing and investment.

Employees of ministries, sectors and localities are not allowed to go to festivals during working hours or use State-owned cars to visit festivals, except when performing their duties. Leaders of agencies and localities are not allowed to attend festivals if they are not assigned to do so by authorities.

Chairing the Government meeting on the first working day, PM Phuc said 2019 would be a year of breakthroughs to reach the targets of the five-year socio-economic development plan. This year also marks 50 years of implementing President Ho Chi Minh’s will.

“The Government needs to take drastic and innovative actions to obtain better performance in 2019,” he said.

PM Phuc told ministries and localities to uphold their responsibilities in the healthcare, education, energy, transport and public security sectors to avoid bureaucracy and gain public trust.

(Source: VNS)