Inspecting administrative reform work at the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board

On the morning of April 28, the administrative reform inspection team led by Mr. Tran Quoc Chung - Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs had a working session with the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone.

The working delegation worked with leaders of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board and representatives of the unit's departments and offices. Photo: Thanh Le

FOCUS ON COMMAND AND LEADERSHIP

The Southeast Economic Zone Management Board currently consists of 5 specialized departments and 1 self-financed public service unit with 60 officers, civil servants and public employees of the Board and affiliated service units.

Recognizing the importance of administrative reform (AR), the Party Committee of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board promptly issued directive documents on PAR, integrating reform contents into the Programs and plans to implement the Resolution of the Party Congress of the Board and superior agencies in Resolution No. 01-NQ/DH dated May 29, 2020 of the Party Congress of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board for the 2020-2025 term.

Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board Le Tien Tri reported on issues of concern to the Inspection Team. Photo: Thanh Le

The unit has issued an administrative reform plan for 2021 and 2022, identifying specific goals, contents, and tasks and assigning relevant departments and units to take charge of implementation.

In addition, the Board has issued a plan to control administrative procedures in 2021 and 2022; and is conducting a review to simplify administrative procedures.

As a result, in 2021, 4 administrative procedures were reviewed and abolished, and procedures were simplified in the direction of reducing the number of documents for investors, including the documents issued by the Management Board such as: Investment registration certificate, Decision on planning approval, Decision on environmental impact assessment report approval, etc.

Inspection team members attending the meeting. Photo: Thanh Le

The total number of administrative procedures being handled at the unit is 35 procedures. All administrative procedures are implemented at the Provincial Public Administration Service Center and are fully publicized in accordance with regulations. Currently, the Board is submitting to the Provincial People's Committee for approval and re-announcement of the Board's set of administrative procedures. The total number of administrative procedures after the proposed addition is 42 procedures.

At the same time, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone has promoted the application of information technology in solving work to improve the quality of public service implementation. Currently, the Board is using VNPT I-Office document management software, shared software, specialized software; electronic data system; official mail system, using LAN internal network in exchanging work and performing tasks.

Currently, the Board has provided 01 level 3 administrative procedure and 12 level 4 administrative procedures (reaching 37.1% of the total 35 administrative procedures under the unit's jurisdiction).

Representatives of the leaders of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board attended the meeting. Photo: Thanh Le

CLEARLY DEFINING FUNCTIONS AND TASKS

However, the difficulty in implementing the core tasks, programs and projects of the unit is that the assignment of consulting tasks for the Provincial People's Committee to issue programs and projects in such a short timeframe leads to many units and sectors being behind schedule.

Regarding the functions and tasks of the Board, they are clearly stipulated in the Investment Law and the Construction Law. However, the Land Law, the Environmental Protection Law, and the Law on Organization of Local Government have not clearly stipulated the functions and tasks of the Economic Zone Management Boards of provinces and cities.

The unit has provided online public services at levels 3 and 4, but implementation by investors and businesses is still limited.

Implementing the policy of streamlining the payroll, the unit has streamlined 10% according to Project 09 of the province (reducing 6 departments to 5 departments, reducing 40 staff to 36) but currently there are still problems in arranging deputy department positions.

Checking the administrative procedure settlement records at the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board. Photo: Thanh Le

Concluding the meeting, comrade Tran Quoc Chung acknowledged and highly appreciated the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board for its attention to leadership and direction in creating changes in the unit's administrative reform work.

Appreciating the unit's implementation of sending thank you letters and apologies to investors and businesses, comrade Tran Quoc Chung suggested that the Board should continue to promote and expand the practice; at the same time, thereby correcting the working style and manner of cadres and civil servants.

The inspection team suggested that the Board should continue to review and reduce the components and time for handling administrative procedures; supplement the components of the dossier in personnel work; and review documents.

Continue to modernize the administrative system; promote the application of information technology in management and implementation of professional tasks; propagate to investors and enterprises to increase the rate of administrative procedures for handling level 3 and level 4 public services.

At the same time, continue to review the job position project to adjust and arrange the job positions of departments, offices and leaders of cadres and civil servants more appropriately; review documents to ensure compliance with regulations and authority. The Southeast Economic Zone Management Board also needs to strengthen inspection and supervision of the performance of duties of cadres and civil servants of the unit.