Reforming the 'action is key' mindset.

I suddenly remembered the government's online conference on administrative reform. I remembered the call to abandon the "weapon" branded "bureaucracy" when dealing with the people.

Perhaps these days, society is still reeling from the tragic shooting incident in Yen Bai, which claimed the lives of three comrades, taking with them the "secrets" of their feuds and grudges that will continue to trouble investigators, and has forgotten a previous story that caused a stir and much discussion online.

Apologies and "Hello, may I ask, thank you"

This refers to the incident where the head of government, at an online conference summarizing administrative reform work with 63 provinces and cities, mentioned that his motorcade was traveling in a line through Hoi An's Old Town, where regulations mandate pedestrian access. Although he wasn't in the car, upon hearing public opinion, he acknowledged that the Prime Minister still bore responsibility for the oversight, stating, "I must apologize to the people so they understand." This admission of guilt by the head of government reflects his realization that he had inadvertently inconvenienced the public, even without knowing it!

The admission of guilt – even if only in an online conference before the ministries and departments of 63 provinces and cities – has had a positive effect, being shared by the public and netizens.

Naturally, behind the timely handling of relations with the people by the head of the government, public opinion is still awaiting new signals that he himself will give in the online meeting. As a principle of conduct in the administrative reform process, a reform so urgently needed to change the face of the apparatus and the effectiveness of public agencies on the country's journey of integration: Abandoning the "weapon" branded as... "action is key" when dealing with the people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tan's Xin Chao coffee shop.

On August 17th, the results of the administrative reform ranking announced by the Ministry of Interior showed that, among the ministries, the State Bank of Vietnam led the 19 ministries and ministerial-level agencies, followed by the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Transport, after two consecutive years at the top, dropped to third place. Ministries showing significant progress were Health and Education. Among the provinces and cities, Da Nang maintained its top position for the fourth consecutive year, while Hanoi dropped to ninth place.

But if such rankings bring any joy, it's only to the ministries, departments, and localities, as a kind of "achievement" to enhance their image when needed. But have they truly been enough to bring about a new image with the spirit of administrative reform, from cumbersome to streamlined, from "bureaucratic" to serving the people?

When the state payroll still numbers 2.7 million people, yet productivity and efficiency are immeasurable. And when the head of the government himself has to frankly admit: People have told me many times that the Prime Minister only says one thing, but it's very different at the bottom!

Give orders to “give orders”

One might have thought that after the head of the government was forced to intervene and urgently direct action regarding a matter "as small as a fingernail," which should have only involved a warning and administrative handling but was now at risk of being "criminalized," the owner of the Xin Chao café would finally be allowed to return to his old stomping grounds to do business – what belongs to Caesar should be returned to Caesar.

As for the "public servants" who committed wrongdoing in this case, they have been and are being punished.

However, it seems that "Ceasar" Nguyen Van Tan is once again appealing to public opinion. Why?

Once again, it's just a "tiny matter."

According to GDVN, on August 20th, he received a decision ordering the suspension of construction work on a project violating urban construction regulations, signed by the Chairman of the Tan Tuc Town People's Committee, Nguyen Thanh Vu. The reason given was his violation of constructing a container structure on land where construction was not permitted and which was only intended for garden use. Furthermore, the town chairman even demanded that relevant units immediately stop supplying electricity and water to the violating construction site within 24 hours of receiving the suspension order.

But according to Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, the so-called "container construction project" was just a small, modified container costing 15 million VND that he bought and placed next to his shop to store pots, pans, and cups for customers. According to Mr. Tan, this tiny container fit neatly on the land he rented. He didn't understand what was happening and was extremely worried.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tan's concerns are justified. He is facing a type of "weapon" branded as... "bureaucracy" employed by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Tuc town.

This "action-oriented" weapon even made one official hesitant to take action against the owner of the Xin Chao café for fear of… acting immorally.

When a restaurant's electricity and water are cut off, it's a terrible situation.

The restaurant owner was terrified, because the official was far away while the local authorities were nearby. But public opinion quickly figured out the motives behind the local authorities' tit-for-tat retaliation.

The press once again had to get involved. The Vietnam Education Newspaper had to ask the question: "Is the Chairman of Tan Tuc town challenging public opinion and the Prime Minister?"

Perhaps, under pressure from public opinion and the press, Mr. Nguyen Van Phung, Secretary of Binh Chanh District, upon hearing the news, hastily investigated and… ordered the Chairman of Tan Tuc town to stop this “order”: Directing the cutting off of electricity and water is not the responsibility of the town chairman. Actions must be taken in a way that earns the people's respect; don't do trivial, insignificant things!

I suddenly remembered the online conference on administrative reform held by the Government. I remembered the request to abandon the "weapon" branded "bureaucracy" when dealing with the people.

But when will that become a reality?

According to Vietnamnet.vn