Transport ministry officials have been accused of spending too much time on the golf course

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has controversially banned ministry staff from golf in order for them to spend more time on their work.

Thang has requested senior officials of state-owned companies under the ministry, leaders and officials of the ministry’s agencies and departments not to organise, participate in or play golf in order to concentrate more on their work.

The draconian measure has been implemented to combat the sluggish implementation of a series of key infrastructure projects. Excessive time spent on the golf courses by senior officials has been blamed for the tardy work schedule.

Thang required all agencies, organisations and enterprises under the management of the ministry to strictly comply with his request and assigned the Organisation and Personnel Department to supervise its implementation.

Thang has recently taken several surprising decisions, including requesting ministry officials to travel by public buses at least twice a week and to cull the head of Danang International Airport’s terminal project management board due to the slow pace of construction, in addition to proposing a change in school and office hours in a bid to ease the capital’s chronic traffic jams.