HCMC to pay $400 for corruption tip-offs

Municipal authorities announced that they have opened channels to receive the information from the public. Whistleblowers will be protected from retribution, according to the announcement.

The Ho Chi Minh City Communist Party Committee announced that information regarding corruption in the city can be dropped off directly, or sent via post or email, to the city’s Steering Committee on Fighting and Preventing Corruption, which is comprised of officials from the Party Committee.

The committee will only deal with reports and accusations against people of power who fall under the jurisdiction of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and Party Committee.

The committee will not pay for information given by people already working for anti-corruption agencies.

Whistleblowers will receive extra rewards if their information helps prevent losses or collect valuable assets.

The committee will also consider paying for preemptive information about corruption planned for the future.

Whistleblowers' personal information will be kept confidential and they will be protected from threats, according to the Party Committee.

But all who submit tips must take full responsibility for the information they provide and pay compensation for any damage caused by false information, according to guidelines for the new policy.

The Central Committee for Internal Affairs under Vietnam’s Communist Party started offering cash rewards for corruption information 10 years ago. Several cities and provinces have since followed suit, with HCMC being the latest.