lạm thu
Definition
Noun:
- Illegal fee collection; unauthorized levy: The act of collecting money, fees, or charges beyond what is legally permitted or justified, typically by an institution or authority.
- Exaction; abusive collection: The practice of imposing and collecting excessive or unjustified financial demands.
Verb (less common):
- To collect fees illegally/abusively: To engage in the act of imposing and gathering unauthorized or excessive charges.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Tình trạng lạm thu đầu năm học là vấn đề nhức nhối. (The situation of illegal fee collection at the start of the school year is a pressing issue.)
- Phụ huynh phản đối việc lạm thu tại trường. (Parents are protesting the unauthorized fee collection at the school.)
Verb:
- Một số trường có dấu hiệu lạm thu các khoản ngoài quy định. (Some schools show signs of illegally collecting fees outside the regulations.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is most frequently used in the context of public services, especially education and healthcare, where authorities or institutions are accused of exploiting their position to collect extra money.
- It implies a breach of trust and regulations, often involving a power imbalance between the collector (e.g., a school) and the payer (e.g., parents).
Variants and Related Words
- Thu không đúng quy định (v/n): to collect/collection not in accordance with regulations; a more formal, descriptive phrase for similar practices.
- Thu tiền trái phép (v/n): to collect/illegal collection of money; emphasizes the illegality.
Synonyms
- Exaction: The act of demanding and obtaining something, especially money, through force or authority.
- Illegal levy: An unauthorized imposition of a tax or fee.
- Unauthorized collection: Gathering payments without proper legal justification.
Related Terms and Concepts
- Tham nhũng (n): corruption; is often considered a specific form of petty corruption or administrative misconduct.
- Phí và lệ phí (n): fees and charges; the legal counterparts that improperly exceeds or invents.