Administrative reform must be through concrete actions, avoiding shirking responsibility.

On the morning of August 13, the People's Committee of Nghe An province organized a workshop on administrative reform. Attending the workshop was Mr. Pham Minh Hung - Director of the Department of Administrative Reform, Ministry of Home Affairs.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrade Le Xuan Dai - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of provincial, district, city and town departments, branches and sectors.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai delivered a keynote speech at the workshop. Photo by Thanh Le

There are many limitations

Reporting on administrative reform (AR) work in the 2016-2018 period, Director of the Department of Home Affairs Dau Van Thanh affirmed: In recent times, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, and all levels and sectors have paid much attention and strengthened leadership and direction to AR work.

In addition to the achieved results, the head of the provincial Department of Home Affairs pointed out a number of shortcomings and inadequacies in administrative reform work such as: The review and consultation of the Provincial People's Committee to promulgate the set of administrative procedures (TTHC) at all levels of some units is slow. The quality of implementation of the one-stop mechanism and the inter-connected one-stop mechanism in some agencies and units is still low, not ensuring regulations.

The organizational structure is not yet truly streamlined and compact. The processing and resolution of work for individuals and organizations in some areas of work is still slow. Discipline and administrative discipline in some units are not strict.

The application of IT and modernization of the administrative system is still not uniform and not very effective. The Public Administration Reform Index (PARINDEX), the PCI (Provincial Competitiveness Index), and the PAPI (Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index) have been unstable over the years,...

At the workshop, there were 11 opinions and presentations from local departments and branches clarifying the current shortcomings and limitations in administrative reform in Nghe An province. From there, a system of solutions was proposed to improve the quality and effectiveness of administrative reform work in the province.

Director of the Department of Home Affairs Dau Van Thanh reports on administrative reform work. Photo: Thanh Le

Affirming that people and businesses are not satisfied with the administrative reform work, Mr. Tran Anh Son - Chairman of the Provincial Association of Outstanding Enterprises said: "In the administrative reform work of the province, it is necessary to eliminate the phrases "going to work with an umbrella in the morning and returning home with an umbrella in the evening", or "hot above, cold below". Administrative reform work needs to be implemented synchronously by all levels and sectors".

"For businesses, time is "gold", the desire of the business community is that administrative procedures are resolved quickly to meet the needs of people and businesses" - Mr. Son said.

People and businesses are the service objects.

Mr. Phan Duy Hung - representative of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nghe An Branch (VCCI) assessed: The 2017 Public Administration Reform Index of Nghe An province ranked 31st, although it increased more than 7 places compared to 2016 but was still lower than other provinces in the North Central region.

Nghe An’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) has also been unstable in recent years. PAPI assessment indicators show that provincial authorities at all levels need to improve further to enhance governance and public administration performance in the coming time.

Chief of Office of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Cuong discussed solutions to control administrative procedures. Photo: Thanh Le

"Departments, branches and sectors at all levels need to consider people and businesses as the real objects of service, the ultimate goal is to bring satisfaction to people and businesses. Overcoming the situation of shirking responsibility, delay in processing, resolving administrative procedures, providing public administrative services between levels and sectors" - Mr. Hung suggested.

Head of the Department of Administrative Reform of the Ministry of Home Affairs Pham Minh Hung said that the root of administrative reform is institutions and people.

“Nghe An needs to coordinate with partners in providing public services, implementing e-government; building a team of officials to do administrative reform work professionally. Pay attention to discipline and administrative discipline in state administrative agencies and units. Clearly assign responsibilities to departments, branches and sectors, promote the role and responsibility of leaders; practically apply information technology to meet the needs of people and businesses. Along with that, it is necessary to strengthen the work of evaluating and monitoring administrative reform work” - Director Pham Minh Hung said.

Concluding the workshop, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai requested all levels and sectors to absorb the opinions of the delegates at the workshop. Continue to advise well on administrative reform to promote socio-economic development.

Mr. Tran Anh Son - Chairman of Nghe An Outstanding Business Association said that people and businesses are not satisfied with the administrative reform work of the province. Photo: Thanh Le

Comrade Le Xuan Dai also emphasized: agencies and units need to uphold the responsibility of their leaders, focus on doing well the work of advising on the promulgation, review and systematization of legal documents to serve state management work; publicize and make 100% of administrative procedures under the authority of agencies and units transparent.

At the same time, improve the service quality of state administrative agencies, reorganize the apparatus of agencies and units in the province to ensure streamlining and reduce focal points.

Director of the Department of Administrative Reform, Ministry of Home Affairs Pham Minh Hung spoke at the workshop. Photo: Thanh Le

Analyzing the current state of administrative reform in the province, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai said: "All levels and sectors need to remove difficulties for businesses not only with words but also with concrete actions."

Conference scene. Photo by Thanh Le

Comrade Le Xuan Dai emphasized: "The key issue of administrative reform work must change fundamentally, must consider people as the objects of service, overcome the situation of shirking responsibility, and the "indifferent" attitude of some cadres and civil servants".