VietNamNet Bridge - Organizations that supervise the implementation of the government’s Resolution No 19 on improving the business environment said that heads of ministries and branches had disobeyed the government’s request.

The Resolution 19 released earlier this year by the Prime Minister said ministries, agencies and local authorities have to submit reports about the implementation of the resolution to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the government office quarterly.

The resolution is an important document for the government to manage reform which aims to narrow the gap in business environment between Vietnam and ASEAN 6 and ASEAN 4 countries.

However, according to MPI, by September 23, the ministry had received reports from four ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Social Insurance, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), HCM City, Dong Nai and Hanoi. 

Others had not sent reports by September 24, the day when the conference reviewing the resolution implementation was held by the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM).

CIEM’s head Nguyen Dinh Cung said that CIEM had organized many training courses on the Resolution No 19, but “most ministries, branches and 18 local people’s committees did not attach much importance to the training courses”.

Lawyer Tran Huu Huynh from VCCI confirmed that only ministries have been seriously following the requirements on quarterly reporting.

“It is necessary to clarify why a government’s resolution which aims to help Vietnam integrate more deeply into the world has been disrespected by government members,” Huynh said.

Meanwhile, Cung pointed out that under Resolution No 19 and the Enterprise Law, MPI has requested to remove 3,300 required business conditions from July 1.

However, the ministries have released many new circulars which have set up a lot of new business conditions.

“The Enterprise Law has created a more favorable framework for businesses. However, state agencies have not strictly followed the law, which could affect people’s confidence in the laws,” Cung said.

“I really think this is alarming,” he said. “It seems that businesses and state agencies are on two opposite fronts.”

Cung related that when he attended a dialogue between businesses and state agencies recently in HCM City, he heard a businessman saying that this was the last time the businessman would make suggestions on legal documents. The businessman said he had made suggestions many times before, but his opinions were all ignored.

Huynh from VCCI noted that the government office has to come forward and force ministries and branches to follow the resolution. Meanwhile, CIEM, which is a research institute, cannot issue the command.

“The government needs to use its power to force, and not call for, agencies to implement the resolution,” he said.

TBKTSG