The World Bank and Vietnam’s Government Inspectorate set “Reducing corruption and clarifying government responsibility” as the topic of the Vietnam Creativity Day 2009 ideas contest, inspectorate deputy chief Mai Quoc Binh said.
The ideas contest is open to state agencies, World Bank agencies and individuals approved by local authorities. Finland and Denmark are among the sponsors of the project.
Entries close on March 9 next year and winners will be given up to US$15,000 to implement their ideas.
About 10 awards are expected to be granted in early May.
The fight against corruption has been set as the government’s primary task in the 2007-2011 period and named as the responsibility of all state agencies, including the press, Binh told a press conference to launch the Vietnam Creativity Day 2009 on Tuesday.
Vietnam’s anti-corruption laws were “on the way to completion” and have not worked effectively, he said. “So I hope that individuals and organizations through the contest can suggest more practical and effective ideas.”
Martin Rama, temporary director of the World Bank office in Vietnam, said he hoped the contest would help Vietnam build a strong administration and clarify the roles of citizens and officials.
World Bank launched the creativity contest in Vietnam in 2003.
Among the sponsors for the 2009 contest are Australian, Canadian and New Zealand agencies for international development, UK’s Department for International Development, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Danish and Finn embassies.
