Experience in administrative reform

(Baonghean) - For many years in a row, the Nghe An Tax Department has been the leading unit in administrative procedure reform, receiving commendations from the Central Government, ministries, and the Provincial People's Committee.

Administrative reform is an urgent requirement for public administration in general and tax administration procedures in particular, aiming to facilitate businesses and taxpayers, contributing to cost savings and improving production and business efficiency. Adhering to the Party's guidelines and policies, and central government documents on administrative reform, and recognizing tax administrative reform as a crucial task to meet integration requirements, the Nghe An Tax Department has promptly and extensively disseminated and implemented among its officials and employees the overall State administrative reform program for the period 2011-2020; Decision No. 75/QD-UBND/2012 of the Provincial People's Committee on promulgating the State administrative reform plan for the period 2012-2015; and Resolution No. 19/NQ-CP dated March 12, 2015 of the Government on tasks and solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness...

Annually, based on the Tax System Reform Strategy, the General Department of Taxation's Plan, and the Provincial People's Committee's Plan, the Tax Department has developed plans for administrative reform, outlining specific tasks, procedures, timelines, and assigning relevant departments to implement them; issuing numerous guiding documents such as: official letters on rectifying and promoting administrative reform, the operation of the one-stop service center; implementing quality according to ISO 9001-2008 standards; improving the quality of communication, support, and implementation of administrative procedure reform to facilitate taxpayers; launching emulation movements for administrative procedure reform; assigning targets for implementing administrative reform and resolving administrative procedures...

The head of the Tax Department presented gifts to the families of martyrs in the department.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai, Chief Accountant of Hoa Hiep Co., Ltd., said: “Working as an accountant in a unit with many projects, numerous documents and procedures, and frequently changing policies, I often ask the Propaganda Department and the IT Department for specific and enthusiastic answers when I have problems.” Mr. Phan Tuan Nghia, Head of the IT Department of the Tax Department, one of the people with many implemented initiatives, said: “The emulation movement for labor and creativity has strongly encouraged cadres and employees throughout the industry to study and apply science. The department has successfully implemented and maintained the “Modernization of State Budget Revenue Collection” project, which the General Department of Taxation has assessed as the most successful implementation unit. To date, 100% of units collect and pay taxes through commercial banks. And about 80% of businesses in the area regularly exchange information with the tax authorities.”

Thanks to its efforts, the Tax Department has achieved many important results in the field of tax administrative reform. During the period 2011-2015, the Nghe An Tax Department was a pioneer in reforming tax administrative procedures and applying modern information technology in resolving administrative procedures and tax management. It was the first unit to implement the "one-stop shop" mechanism in 2005, and this has been effectively and uniformly implemented throughout the entire sector; it has also effectively applied the "ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management System". In 2012-2013, the Nghe An Provincial Tax Department was ranked first in Nghe An province for its effective implementation of administrative reform; in 2013, the eFinance Magazine - Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics (Ministry of Finance) ranked the Nghe An Tax Department first among 63 tax departments in terms of readiness for the development and application of information technology.

In 2014, the Tax Department launched a campaign to celebrate National Day (September 2nd) and the founding day of the Vietnamese Tax ngành (September 10th). Through this campaign, taxpayers were supported in filing tax returns online and paying taxes electronically; thereby creating favorable conditions, saving maximum costs and time, and gaining the support of citizens and businesses. The Department of Information Technology and Statistics (Ministry of Finance) recognized the unit as a leading unit. At the end of the campaign, seven tax branches achieved the targets set in the campaign regarding tax administrative procedure reform and tax debt collection, including: the Tax Branches of Do Luong, Cua Lo, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Vinh City, and six departments of the Tax Department.

In 2015, in response to the campaign to reform administrative procedures and improve the quality of service to the people and businesses in Nghe An province, the Tax Department launched a competitive emulation movement and organized the registration of commitments to administrative reform contents. 100% of officials and civil servants registered their commitments and effectively implemented the administrative reform contents in the performance of their duties.

The Nghe An Tax Department is also a leading unit nationwide in the implementation of online public services - electronic tax payment, and has been awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Minister of Finance. To date, all 22 units in the entire sector have achieved 100% implementation of the one-stop mechanism; 100% of administrative procedures and dossiers are received, processed, and results are returned through the one-stop mechanism. Annually, the entire sector receives an average of over 70,000 related administrative procedures and dossiers; over 99.9% of procedures have been processed and results returned on time or ahead of schedule.

After 5 years of implementing reforms at the Nghe An Tax Department, practical results have been achieved in better serving the people and businesses, in line with the trend of integration and development; the organizational structure and apparatus are increasingly perfected towards modernization and high professionalism. According to Mr. Le Ha Dung, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Tax Department, the lessons learned from the achievements of the Nghe An Tax Department are: “The head of the agency must genuinely care about directing and ensuring the effectiveness of implementation. Goals must be set and aspirations must be pursued; adequate investment in infrastructure and equipment must meet the requirements of administrative reform in the era of integration and development; especially the application of information technology synchronously and at a high level to serve management and provide the best support for taxpayers in carrying out administrative procedures, creating convenience in administrative transactions at tax agencies at all levels. Administrative reform must be linked to the implementation of the Quality Management System according to ISO standards. The department has assigned suitable officials and civil servants; they possess communication and interpersonal skills, are careful, thoughtful, enthusiastic, open, and committed to their work, ensuring unconditional service to the people in accordance with the law. Regularly inspect and supervise the work of officials and civil servants and evaluate their performance.” "Regularly evaluate performance results, replicate best practices and successful approaches; promptly address and overcome shortcomings and weaknesses."

The objectives of the Nghe An Tax Department's administrative reform by 2020 are: Proactively advising and proposing amendments, additions, and improvements to the tax policy system and related documents; Continuing to streamline the organizational structure of the tax agency to meet the requirements of the tasks; building and improving the quality of the staff and civil servants; continuing to implement the planning of leadership and management personnel for the period 2016-2020; implementing recruitment, planning, rotation, transfer, reassignment, appointment, and classification of civil servants and public employees in a substantive manner; Regularly organizing and disseminating tax policies and laws, ensuring that 100% of new tax policies are implemented to taxpayers. 100% of administrative procedures are posted and publicly displayed at the headquarters of tax agencies at all levels; through the integrated one-stop service and on the Tax Department's website. 100% of departments and branches received and processed tax-related documents and procedures in accordance with policies and regulations, and within the prescribed timeframe.

Striving for 100% of businesses to submit tax declarations online and pay taxes electronically; organizing the online receipt and delivery of results for certain areas such as tax registration, tax refunds, tax exemptions and reductions, etc.; Regularly organizing inspections and monitoring to ensure 100% implementation of the annual administrative reform inspection plan at tax offices and branches; inspecting the handling of administrative procedures to promptly detect violations and shortcomings in order to propose and handle them in accordance with regulations. 100% of tax offices and branches maintain effective "Quality Management according to TCVN ISO 9001-2008 standards" with the slogan "Conquering the trust and satisfaction of customers through efficiency - through dedication". Implementing the "Tax Sector Declaration" with the values ​​of "Transparency - Professionalism - Integrity - Innovation".

Chau Lan