People who denounce corruption and help the government of Viet Nam recover from a corruption case an amount over 600 times the common minimum wage will get a reward of up to 3,000 times the common minimum salary applied at the time of denunciation, according to a new circular.

As the current common minimum salary is VND1.15 million (US$54.3) a month, the highest reward in cash amounts to VND3.45 billion, or US$160,650.

This reward is part of Joint Circular 01, to take effect on May 1, issued by the Government Inspectorate and the Ministry of Home Affairs detailing rules on rewarding people who gain outstanding achievements in anti-corruption.

An anti-corruption logo designed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Accordingly, depending on their specific performances in anti-corruption activities, corruption whistleblowers will be honored with one of the three following commendation levels.

The first level is a Medal of Bravery from the State President while the second is a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister.

The third is a certificate of merit from ministers, heads of ministry-equivalent agencies, other agencies under the central government, the chairperson of the National Assembly Office, the chief of the Government Office, the chief judge of the Supreme People’s Court, the head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the State General Auditor, the chairperson of the Central Committee of the Fatherland Front Central Committee, and chairpersons of people’s committees of centrally-administered provinces and cities.

According to the new circular, corruption whistleblowers will also be offered further rewards from the Reward Fund for Corruption Prevention and Control, which is managed by the Government Inspectorate.

Those honored with Medals of Bravery, certificates of merit by the Prime Minister, or certificates by other entities such as the above-mentioned bodies will also be given a reward that is 60 times, 40 times, and 20 times the common minimum wage, respectively.

When denunciators can help the state recover lost money worth over 600 times the common minimum wage, they will be rewarded with up to 10 percent of the recovered amount, but it must not be higher than 3,000 times the common minimum salary valid at the time of denunciation, the circular said.