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Security forces, including police and military units, were mobilized . [1] Banners lined the major streets, approximately 1,500 tablets were distributed to delegates, and [2] large-scale fireworks lit up the capital’s sky for 15 minutes. [3]

These details illustrate the pageantry of the recent 14th Party Congress—a level of spectacle that has become familiar in Việt Nam. But this grandeur prompts a question: how much does it actually cost to organize an event of this scale?

Public records provide no answer. There is no data for this year, nor for any previous congress. Not a single standalone report or detailed breakdown has ever been made public.

This silence is striking when compared to the local level. Even party congresses at the commune level come with clear budget allocation decisions . [4] However, at the national level, the public remains completely unaware of the actual expense. It remains unclear why this cost is not disclosed, raising the fundamental question: should the budget for organizing a Party Congress be made public?

The answer is yes. And here is why.

Việt Nam Has Budgetary Regulations

From a legal standpoint, Việt Nam does not lack regulations governing the costs of organizing Party Congresses. Documents issued by the Party Central Committee and the state provide detailed guidance on permissible expenditures, spending limits, and accounting procedures.

However, these regulations are designed solely for internal financial management; they impose no obligation to publicly disclose the total cost. In essence, the law dictates how to spend, but does not require transparency regarding the actual figures.

Currently, there is no requirement to publish total congress expenditures, spending breakdowns, or financial settlements. Instead, congress-related expenses are typically folded into routine budget expenditures or the operating funds of Party organizations. Once merged, specific costs disappear into large aggregated figures, making it impossible for the public to determine the event's true cost or how funds were utilized.

In short, regulations exist—but public information does not.

Public Money is the People’s Money

The most basic principle of public governance is that budgetary funds are public money, and therefore must be subjected to accountability.

If a Party Congress were a purely internal affair, funded entirely by the organization’s own coffers, transparency would be optional. However, once the event draws from the state budget—relying on taxpayer contributions—it becomes a matter of public interest.

While the public does not require access to sensitive security plans or minor line items, the fundamental figures should be available. Taxpayers have a right to know the total cost, the major expenditure categories, the contractor selection process, and the details of the final financial settlement.

In other sectors, exceeding specific budget thresholds triggers mandatory reporting, approval, and disclosure. It is unreasonable that an event affecting the entire political system should proceed without the release of a single official figure.

Transparency as a Standard in Other Nations

While no country replicates Vietnam’s specific Party Congress model, the disclosure of costs for major political events is a global norm.

In the United States, both Democratic and Republican parties publish financial reports for national conventions, and presidential inaugurations mandate full revenue and expenditure reporting . [5]

Similarly, in Taiwan, parties like the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must submit audited annual financial reports under party finance laws. While these systems differ from Việt Nam’s, they adhere to the same mandate: public funding demands public accountability. [6]

The common thread is not the political system, but the principle: large political events funded with public money require accounting and disclosure. The larger the event, the greater the necessity for transparency.

This raises the inevitable question: why has Việt Nam not adopted this practice?

The barriers are neither technical nor legal. Rather, the obstacle is a long-standing habit of treating political expenditures as internal matters and viewing budgetary inquiries as taboo.

Four Steps to Budgetary Accountability

Requests for disclosure are not about sensationalism; they are about adhering to technical standards of budget transparency. To be effective, the disclosure of Party Congress costs must occur across four distinct layers:

A total budget estimate should be announced prior to Congress establishing a public spending framework.

Expenditures should be broken down by major sectors, including logistics, facilities, and security.

A final financial report must show actual expenditures, noting any deviations from the original estimates with clear explanations.

The process needs to be checked by someone outside, like the State Audit Office, to make sure that public money leaves a trace that can be verified.

Implementing these steps would not undermine the Congress. Instead, it would harmonize the event with contemporary state standards, guaranteeing a balance between formality and accountability.

Ultimately, the disclosure of Party Congress costs is not optional; it is imperative and should absolutely be done. This transparency represents both a fundamental principle of public budget management and the minimum standard of responsibility for any activity funded by taxpayers.

Thúc Kháng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Jan. 28, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.

References: +

1. VnExpress. (2026, January 19). Quân đội, công an tổ chức lực lượng bảo vệ Đại hội XIV. vnexpress.net . https://vnexpress.net/quan-doi-cong-an-to-chuc-luc-luong-bao-ve-dai-hoi-xiv-5006309.html

2. Thạch Hãn. (2026, January 20). Tiết kiệm giấy, đảng cấp hơn 1.500 máy tính bảng cho đại biểu dự Đại hội 14 . Luật Khoa tạp chí. https://luatkhoa.com/2026/01/tiet-kiem-giay-dang-cap-hon-1-500-may-tinh-bang-cho-dai-bieu-du-dai-hoi-14/

3. Bình, N. (2026, January 23). Người dân xem ở đâu, lúc nào? Báo Văn Hóa . https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-dan-xem-o-dau-luc-nao-199536.html

4. Long, X. M. (2025, September 4). Quyết định phân bổ kinh phí tổ chức Đại hội Đảng bộ các cấp, nhiệm kỳ 2025-2030 . minhlong.quangngai.gov.vn. https://minhlong.quangngai.gov.vn/he-thong-van-ban/van-ban-huyen/quyet-dinh-phan-bo-kinh-phi-to-chuc-dai-hoi-dang-bo-cac-cap-nhiem-ky-2025-2030.html

5. Inaugural Expenses. (n.d.). FY 2019 proposed budget and Financial Plan. In Inaugural Expenses (p. G-51-G-56) [Report]. https://cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ocfo/publication/attachments/sb_ie_chapter_2019m.pdf

6. 台北時報. (2024, August 15). TPP declared no campaign expenses. Taipei Times . https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/08/16/2003822307

Public Money, Private Secrets: Why Việt Nam Hides the 14th Party Congress Budget

Thúc Kháng

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