HCMC disbursement of Covid relief packages investigated

The documents have to be submitted to the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, the ministry’s Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes said Wednesday.

The city has been asked to make available dossiers and documents on results of implementing specific regimes and policies with regard to Covid-19 prevention and support for affected people.

It should also provide documents on the results of inspections done, including violations detected and action taken thereafter.

The HCMC People’s Committee has not commented on this issue.

It was reported last October that thousands of HCMC residents in several districts had used numerous tricks to receive Covid-19 support money multiple times.

Some falsely declared certain information, taking advantage of the fact that people aged 14 and under are yet to have personal IDs, to collect support money many times, or used their relatives’ addresses to sign up for Covid-19 support.

The city has implemented three Covid-19 relief packages to support people affected by the pandemic: the central government’s relief package of VND26 trillion ($1.13 billion) that came out last July; and two of its own packages – one valued at VND886 billion launched that month and another worth VND905 billion announced last August.

The city had district and ward authorities disburse funds to informal workers and working-age people as well as households in difficulties.

In all, 4.5 million residents identified as needing support were to receive VND1.5 million ($66) each.