VietNamNet Bridge – Reforms of the administrative system must be done with “professionalism and resolution” to effectively eliminate "vested interest" and corrupt elements, according to Minister, Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung.

The public administration centre of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong. — VNA/VNS Photo Phan Anh Dung

He made the remark while addressing an online training workshop on administrative reform and single-window held on Thursday that saw the participation of nearly 7,000 officials from 24 ministries, Government agencies and 63 provinces and cities.

The Government plans to prioritise e-Government building next year in concert with administrative reforms, in a bid to tackle the country’s cumbersome bureaucracy, seen as a factor that stifles growth and innovation.

Chairman Dung, who chaired the workshop, said that to make sure e-Government building efforts are done in concert with administrative reforms, tasks related to promoting single-window mechanism and administrative reforms have been moved from the justice and home affairs ministries to the Government Office, and at the local level, from provincial/municipal justice and home affairs departments to people’s committees.

According to Dung, since the beginning of the year, nearly 6,780 out of about 9,930 specialised inspections on imported or exported goods and close to 3,350 out of 6,200 business conditions – considered unnecessary red tape, causing waste and risk of bribery – were axed.

The elimination of these procedures has helped save nearly VND6.3 trillion (US$271.9 million) and free up 17.5 million workdays.

So far, 57 out of 63 localities have finished relaying administrative reform tasks to the people’s committees and 39 localities have public administrative centres at a good level, Chairman Dung said.

He also noted that provincial governments and State agencies have started to make use of information technology to process and store documents, but each use their own software, making it difficult to share information or connect the databases.

This issue will receive attention next year, as construction of the national public administration centre will begin, with standardised, uniform technology and softwares used across all State agencies and local governments.

“Transparent, friendly, and easy-to-use” are the three criteria that State agencies and local governments must strive towards in their delivery of public services, Chairman Dung ordered.

He said the performance of public service officials and administrative reform efforts would be measured by the “satisfaction of the people.”

Cautioning that the reforming and streamlining administrative procedures would mean run-ins with entrenched vested interest, the head of the Government Office stressed that the selection of personnel to undertake this task must be carefully done.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc earlier ordered faster deployment of e-payment in public administrative services, as cash payments carry more risk for corruption.

On the occasion, Ngo Hai Phan, head of the Administrative Procedure Control Agency, also announced the Government Office’s certificates of merits for exemplary provincial public administration centres in Bac Ninh, Yen Bai, Thai Binh, Quang Ninh, Dong Nai and Quang Nam.

Source: VNS