The State Audit highlighted this issue in its specialized conclusion on the management and use of lottery revenue for the 2024-2025 period.
In 2024, the Soc Trang Lottery Company sent a seven-member delegation, comprising three company leaders and four departmental heads from its Supervisory Council, on a 10-day trip to Europe, costing over 1,2 billion VND.
The delegation visited France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, despite the province's initial approval for only three countries. The actual itinerary also deviated from the approved plan.
According to the State Audit, the company failed to prepare a study plan, and its payment records lacked documentation to verify work outcomes. The post-trip report did not detail specific results concerning industry development models, strategies, or solutions to improve management and oversight capabilities.
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The headquarters of Can Tho Lottery Company in Cai Khe ward. Photo: An Binh
In the same year, the Can Tho Lottery Company organized two separate delegations to Japan and Dubai, totaling 25 individuals. These included six members of the Supervisory Council, two company leaders, and 17 outstanding lottery agents. The combined cost for both trips exceeded 1,4 billion VND.
The approved plan outlined that the delegation to Japan would survey and exchange experience with lottery companies and traditional ticket agents. The Dubai delegation was intended to survey retail systems, meet partners, and investigate lottery ticket sales processes and QR code payment systems.
However, the Japan delegation did not engage with any lottery companies. The Dubai delegation only met with one lottery company. Both trips also included visits to several tourist attractions.
Following these trips, the Can Tho Lottery Company developed a new scratch-off lottery ticket. Nevertheless, the State Audit determined that the itineraries and organizational methods of these trips did not align with the plans approved by the City People's Committee.
The State Audit concluded that while these trips adhered to programs and plans approved by provincial and city People's Committees and utilized company funds, their content and organizational approach in some instances were unsuitable and failed to meet the objective of improving management capacity and business efficiency.
The audit agency recommended that the Can Tho City People's Committee instruct both the Can Tho and Soc Trang lottery companies to discontinue organizing overseas delegations for experience exchange and learning if these trips do not directly support their business operations, as per regulations.
In late 2025, the Can Tho City People's Committee issued a plan to reorganize administrative agencies, public service units, and state-owned enterprises within its jurisdiction. Under this plan, the three lottery companies of Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang are slated to merge into a single entity in 2026, with a proposal to maintain three drawing days each week.
An Binh
