Lawmakers applaud administrative reform

Project 30, introduced in 2007 to simplify administrative procedures, has been a breakthrough, Deputy Tran Du Lich of HCM City told the National Assembly Nov. 9.
Project 30, introduced in 2007 to simplify administrative procedures,has been a breakthrough, Deputy Tran Du Lich of HCM City told theNational Assembly Nov. 9.

It has been a major step toward the target of publicising administrativeprocedures and has given the public the tools to supervise Stateadministrative agencies, he said.

The deputy wasamong a majority of parliamentarians who agreed that it has been correctto assign the National Assembly the task of overseeing the reform ofadministrative procedures for land, housing, tax and customs.

Their opinions were part of an appraisal of Government's achievementsin administrative reform as it has affected ordinary people andenterprises during the past ten years, especially since the launch ofProject 30.

Their debate, which assessed a Standing Committee report, was televised nationally.

The report says that for the first time Vietnam has a NationalDatabase for Administrative Procedures in State Management for thecentre; provinces, districts and communes.

TheGovernment has continuously asked the assembly to revise and promulgatenumerous laws and decrees and to implement specific solutions toaccelerate administrative reform, it says.

It alsoshows that most ministries, sectors and localities have met theirrequirement to simplify 30 percent of administrative procedures.

Among 5,421 procedures reviewed, 480 were reduced to 192 with 4,416 revised and amended.

In addition, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has required that thesimplification process reduce administrative costs for individuals andenterprises by a yearly 30 percent.

Deputy Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said the database and the introduction of online services was the most noticeable success.

More than 5,700 administrative procedures are now available to the public online.

"It's calculated that administrative procedure simplification saves usabout 7,900 billion VND (395 million USD) each year," the deputy said.

"The figure is very impressive and is the result of the State's attempts to simplify administrative procedures."

Deputy Nguyen Van Quynh, northern Quang Ninh province, and Pham ManhHung, northern Thai Nguyen province, together with Deputy Huynh VanTiep, Can Tho, the Mekong Delta, said the achievements inadministrative-procedure reform were reflected in socio-economicdevelopment and the improved investment environment.

Some deputies hailed the World Bank and International FinanceCorporation's report Doing Business 2011 as a vivid example of howadministrative reform has progressed.

The report, published on Nov. 4, lists Vietnam among the world's 10 most improved economies.

Despite the success, many deputies complained that numerousadministrative procedures are overtapped, take too long and lacktransparency. .

Deputy Nguyen Ngoc Minh, centralNinh Thuan province and Deputy Cao Si Kiem, northern Thai Binh province,said the bureaucratic practices of administrative staff remain abarrier to business.

Deputies Tran Thi Loc, northernBac Kan province, and Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said people are the mostimportant to the success of the administrative reform and should begiven more attention.

Both complained theadministrative staff can not live from their salaries and this is amongthe reasons for their seeking ways to make money illegally.

Deputy Mai Thi Anh Tuyet, southern An Giang province, said salariesand training for administrative staff should be included inadministrative reform.

The application ofinformation technology was the key to successful State management,advised deputy Le Doan Hop, northern Hung Yen province.

"It's the fastest way to implement administrative procedures and most effective way to minimise negatives," he said./.

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