Vice President of the State Inspection and Anti-Corruption Authority, Mr Vilaivan Bouddakham.

Govt calls on younger generation to spearhead anti-corruption drive

Young people were urged to take the lead in building a corruption-free future as Laos marked International Anti-Corruption Day on Monday.
The event took the theme “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, highlighting the importance of young people in shaping a just and transparent society.
Vice President of the State Inspection and Anti-Corruption Authority, Mr Vilaivan Bouddakham, led the event, which took place at the Faculty of Economics at the National University of Laos and was attended by 267 people.
Also present were representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, ambassadors, staff from state enterprises, teachers, and students.
Mr Vilaivan reviewed the history of International Anti-Corruption Day and stressed the harmful impacts of corruption on national development.
Corruption threatens stability in state and private organisations, fuels injustice, and weakens public confidence in governing bodies, he said.
Corruption is a global problem that affects countries of all sizes and income levels, he added, noting that its impact hinders social and economic progress, which prompted the international community to draft a common legal framework for joint action.
International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed annually on December 9 since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2003 to raise public awareness of the need to wipe out corruption.
Mr Vilaivan said the Party Central Committee, National Assembly, and Government place strong emphasis on anti-corruption activities, viewing it as the shared duty of all Party and State bodies.
This effort includes the formulation of new laws and policies, closer checks on state agencies, and regular education of civil servants, soldiers, police, students, and the public around the need to combat corruption.
The aim is to build understanding of the harm done by corruption and to encourage everyone to respect the law and share in preventing misconduct at all levels.
The messages delivered at the ceremony echoed recent findings presented to the National Assembly, which underscored the scale of corruption uncovered across state bodies in Laos in recent years.
Speaking at the recent 10th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly, President of the State Inspection Authority, Dr Khamphanh Phommathat, said investigations carried out over the past five years involved 18 targets and uncovered losses of 2.1 trillion kip, equal to about US$99.76 million.
Some of the assets misappropriated have subsequently been recovered by the Authority.
A total of 334 people were found to be involved, including 212 state employees, 44 staff from state enterprises, two foreigners, and 77 other individuals.
Of the 18 targets investigated, probes into the activities of 13 of them have been completed, which revealed 312 people as being directly involved.
Dr Khamphanh said 86 people were sent to the prosecutor’s office to face legal proceedings and the courts passed judgement in 23 cases. Another 207 people were dealt with through administrative measures.
In 2025, six targets were investigated, involving 59 people.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update December 10, 2025)