In a televised speech at the close of the meeting, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that the politburo had acknowledged its failure to prevent corruption among some party members.
A ”lack of monitoring and enquiries”, he added, led to ”inefficiency and wrongdoings” at state-owned enterprises such as Vinashin and Vinalines.
In March, nine top officials were jailed for their roles in the near bankruptcy of Vinashin – the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group.
Last month, the former chairman of Vinalines – Vietnam National Shipping Lines – was arrested abroad and extradited for ”alleged economic crimes”.
”The politburo have seriously self-criticised and honestly apologise to the Central Committee for the shortcomings in party building, cases of moral decay among party members and cadres,” Nguyen Phu Trong said.
The committee had asked the politburo – its 14-member main decision-making body – to ”actively improve, rectify the shortcomings”, he added.
Nguyen Tan Dung’s government has faced criticism for mismanagement of state companies and sloppy anti-corruption efforts.
The prime minister has also been under pressure from a number of bloggers posting online discussions over corruption cases and human rights issues.
Last month, he hit out at three blogs critical of the government, ordering that those behind them be ”seriously punished”.
He has been prime minister since 2006, coming into office amid expectations that he would continue economic and political reforms in the country.
However, a global financial crisis two years later saw Vietnam’s economy, after decades of high growth, plunging into serious problems, including high inflation and bad debt.
Corruption and the economic slide have led to a build-up of public discontent.