VietNamNet Bridge – Although administrative reforms contributed significantly to the country's socio-economic development over the last decade, the process not yet met its set goals, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said during an on-line conference with 63 cities and provinces yesterday, April 5.

People wait to receive household registration documents at Hai Ba Trung District's Department of Public Security in Ha Noi. Administrative reforms have not yet met targets although they have already contributed significantly to the country's socio-economic development. (Photo: VNS)

"Through the reform of institutions and administrative apparatus, the reform process has step by step created favourable condition to mobilise different resources for the country's socio-economic development," the Prime Minister said.

However, Dung said the programme had not yet met its goal of building a democratic, pure, strong, professional, modern and effective administration.

He emphasised the need to establish a fair, transparent and favourable business environment, when implementing administrative reforms, including the completion of institutions and the reform of administrative procedures during the next 10 years.

The process aimed to complete Socialist-oriented market economy, said Dung.

He said administrative reforms must be able to build a thorough State administrative system from central to grassroots levels, with a view to satisfying the country's development demands in the new period.

The reform process would also have to increasingly ensure democracy and the rights of people as the master, with the administration catering to their demands, Dung said.

He asked concerned offices to concentrate on amending and supplementing regulations and laws related to land-use management, and said it was necessary to strengthen the participation of individuals and organisations from every walk of life in providing public services and social welfare.

Regarding the reform of administrative procedures, Dung requested ministries, ministerial offices, cities and provinces to check administrative procedures, and amend and supplement legal documents with due attention given to pressing issues such as property, tax and customs.

He said a close check on the functions and duties of administrative offices and organisations from the central to grassroots levels was essential, along with the growth of an effective co-ordination mechanism.

The Prime Minister said the development of competent human resources must be implemented in parallel with the reforms.

In terms of the reform of public finances, he said investment in capital construction needed to be cut while concentrating on salary reforms, social welfare policy and an effective cut in the number of regular staff at State offices.

Dung also reminded concerned offices to modernise the administrative apparatus and apply information technology to administrative management processes.

He said State administrative offices needed to consider administrative reforms as a key task and a breakthrough in accordance with the spirit set out in the resolution of the 11th National Party Congress.

Interior Minister Tran Van Tuan told the on-line conference that a national database of 5,700 procedures, 9,000 documents and 100,000 forms had been applied in 24 ministries and 63 localities in Viet Nam in the first phase of the project on the simplification of administrative procedures in the field of State management, also known as Project 30.

Ministries, cities and provinces had also completed the review of their procedures during the second phase and simplified at least 30 per cent of administrative procedures, he added.

Minister, chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc also asked ministries, ministerial offices, cities and province to attach much importance to undertaking an impact assessment of administrative procedures, avoiding the changes having a negative impact on production, trade and people's lives in order to underline the clarity of the newly introduced administrative procedures.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News