Administrative reform in departments and agencies: Many limitations remain.

(Baonghean) - Although there have been many positive changes, administrative reform in departments and agencies still has limitations and shortcomings. In some areas, administrative procedures are not yet truly streamlined, and the quality and sense of responsibility of some officials and civil servants are not yet truly close to the people, serving the people.

Handling administrative procedures for citizens at the One-Stop Service Center of the Department of Transportation.

A dramatic transformation

Present at the Nam Dan Road Motor Vehicle Testing Center on a test day, we observed a very serious and efficient working atmosphere. Many people appeared relaxed while waiting to receive their driver's licenses.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc (48 years old, Thanh Chuong district) happily said: “I just passed the driving test, and now I only need to wait another 1 or 2 hours to receive my license. It's very convenient, unlike before when I had to wait a week or even a month to get my license; it was time-consuming and the commute was also difficult.”

Like Mr. Ngoc, many other citizens waiting to receive their licenses after taking the exam here also expressed satisfaction with the new approach of the Department of Transportation. This is one of the indicators demonstrating the unit's efforts in administrative reform over the past period.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the Nghe An Department of Transport is the first unit nationwide to apply this new approach, aiming to create the most favorable conditions for candidates after passing the driving test.

In addition, the Department of Transportation has developed and put into use the Mobil Work road infrastructure management software to serve the management and maintenance of transportation infrastructure assets.

This continues to be the first software developed nationwide that has been highly praised by the Ministry of Transport and has been studied and applied by many provincial and city Departments of Transport.

Not only in the transportation sector, but administrative reform has also been implemented across all sectors, contributing to the significant achievements of Nghe An's economy.

A prime example is the series of positive changes at the Department of Construction – one of the units directly responsible for handling procedures related to investment projects in the area.

According to the assessment of the inter-agency inspection team reviewing administrative procedure control at the Department of Construction at the end of October 2016, the processing time for dossiers in the fields of construction, planning, and housing has been shortened compared to regulations. This has avoided cumbersome, overlapping, and rigid procedures in the application process, creating a legal environment that allows economic entities and investors in Nghe An province to confidently conduct business and develop.

Similarly, positive changes have also been implemented at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment – ​​the agency primarily responsible for handling administrative procedures related to land, minerals, environment, and water resources.

Currently, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is implementing the HCM eGov Framework 2.0 system and carrying out the project to apply information technology to issue land use right certificates through online public services at level 3. These efforts are creating a transparent mechanism, meeting the need for quick and convenient administrative procedure resolution for citizens and businesses.

Overcoming passivity and awkwardness.

The Inter-agency Inspection Team conducted an inspection of administrative procedures at the Department of Construction.

Administrative reform is an ongoing and long-term task. Although many positive changes have been made, administrative reform work in departments and agencies still has limitations and shortcomings. In some areas, administrative procedures are not yet truly streamlined, and the quality and sense of responsibility of some officials and civil servants are not yet truly close to the people, responsive to their needs, and dedicated to serving them.

For example, at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, some administrative procedures under the jurisdiction of the district and commune-level People's Committees have not been promptly announced by the department. In addition, some dossiers in the fields of minerals, pricing, and land are still behind schedule.

Explaining the delays in these matters, Mr. Thai Van Nong – Deputy Director of the Department – ​​stated: “Regarding the process of advising on the publication of administrative procedures under the authority of the district and commune levels, the Department acknowledges that there has not been a synchronized approach. The delays in processing applications are due to the need to seek opinions from relevant sectors, the need for additional documents, or legal issues requiring consultation with central agencies.”

Thus, despite attention paid to reviewing administrative procedures and implementing them in many areas, there is still a passive and hesitant approach; leading to a lack of responsiveness and delays in processing applications.

Furthermore, this passive approach also affects the officials responsible for handling administrative procedures. For example, at the Nghe An Tax Department, the task of controlling administrative procedures has been assigned to a focal point officer, but the Department has not yet provided any financial support to this officer.

Therefore, more than anyone else, those in charge of implementing administrative reforms must uphold a high sense of responsibility and proactively strengthen coordination among agencies, units, and localities; between specialized departments; and between administrative agencies at all levels and central agencies located in the locality to achieve the best results.

This is the weakest link preventing administrative reform from making more significant progress and creating synchronized and effective development.

However, proactive measures must also be carried out in accordance with general procedures and regulations to avoid errors. For example, at the Department of Transportation, the unit's leadership has paid attention to the review of administrative procedures by establishing an Administrative Procedure Review Team and directing relevant departments and divisions to review administrative procedures under their management authority.

However, this action was implemented before the decision was announced by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, causing the steps to be carried out in a "reverse process".

Mr. Pham Thanh Chung - Deputy Director of the Department of Justice, Head of the inter-agency inspection team inspecting administrative procedure control work, assessed: "In general, the control of administrative procedures has been implemented quite thoroughly and decisively by the departments and agencies."

However, the process is not yet fully synchronized, and when obstacles arise during the handling of applications, there is a lack of proactive efforts to resolve them. Therefore, administrative reform has not achieved complete satisfaction for citizens and businesses.”

In 2015, Nghe An's administrative reform index was 86.80%, ranking 21st and in group B among provinces and cities nationwide. Regarding the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), Nghe An ranked 32nd, a decrease of 4 places compared to 2014.

Phuong Thao