Two weeks to respond - order to end official indifference
"Businesses have to respond whether they accept or not; keeping it a secret is not acceptable!" - this decisive statement by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is not just a declaration, but a reform order, a strong warning signal sent to the entire administrative system - from the central to local levels.
When market confidence is being challenged, when tens of thousands of businesses are struggling in a maze of procedures, the commitment to "resolve within 2 weeks" all suggestions from businesses is an institutional push, a call to change the service apparatus, gradually restoring confidence - the most valuable asset of the business environment.
A revolutionary order: end official indifference
In fact, one of the most invisible but dangerous barriers to businesses is not the lack of policies, but the lack of timely implementation of policies. Petitions sent and then "falling into a void", not knowing who will handle them, when they will be handled, and what the results will be - is what has worn down the patience and entrepreneurial spirit of many entrepreneurs. More importantly, it causes businesses to lose business opportunities.
Therefore, the Prime Minister’s request for ministries, branches and localities to respond within 2 weeks, whether they agree or not, is an act to correct the attitude of public service. It puts an end to irresponsible silence, and opens up expectations for a dynamic, timely and responsible administration. In other words, it puts an end to the indifference of a number of civil servants.
No longer an "internal process", but a public service commitment
The message "keeping it quiet is not acceptable" also sets a new standard in public administration: administrative procedures are no longer internal affairs of state agencies, but are public commitments to society and businesses.
Instead of keeping files in a drawer, indefinitely postponing them, officials and civil servants are now forced to face reality - either act, or be held accountable. An administration is only credible when its refusal is as transparent as its acceptance, and its explanation is clear as a duty, not a "favor".
Service mindset replaces control mindset
The underlying essence of this directive is to shift thinking - from the mindset of "controlling to limit risks" to the mindset of "serving to create opportunities". When ministries and sectors have to respond within 2 weeks, it means they must be proactive, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, instead of avoiding and pushing things away.
This is a continuation of the action mindset that the Government has consistently pursued over the past time: taking enterprises as the center, taking efficiency as the measure and taking people's satisfaction as the ultimate goal.
Want to change, must promote the machine
However, the two-week order only makes sense if the entire administrative apparatus is truly active. To do so, we must eliminate the mentality of "do less, make less mistakes", which is a chronic disease of many public agencies. Many officials are afraid of responsibility, do not dare to sign, do not dare to decide. This fear has slowed down the reform process and paralyzed the spirit of service.
The government needs to have a mechanism to protect those who dare to act, along with holding accountable those who do wrong or do nothing. The system also needs to be redesigned to be streamlined, with clear responsibilities, and a single point of ultimate responsibility for each group of issues.
No movement without monitoring and transparency tools
A mechanism for handling business petitions within 2 weeks needs to be accompanied by a system for publicizing progress: each petition must be coded, and the processing status must be updated in real time. Each ministry, branch, and locality must periodically report the number of petitions that have been processed, are being processed, and are overdue. Only when everything is "lit" can the machine really move. It is also necessary to publicize the processing results on platforms so that people and businesses know and monitor.
At the same time, the progress of handling must become a competitive evaluation index, a mandatory KPI. Any place where a petition is “silent” must be named and shamed. And any place that handles it well, transparently, and responsibly must be commended and replicated.
There is no way back from stagnation.
The Prime Minister's decision is not just a political statement. It is an enforceable directive, a command message transmitted directly to every desk in the administrative apparatus.
It is time for each minister, each provincial People's Committee chairman, each department head, division head... to look back at themselves and question their public service conscience:
– Have I really handled the business's request on time?
– Have I acted for the common good or am I still avoiding and pushing things away?
– Am I worthy of the position entrusted to me by the Party, State and people?
This is not just a question for individuals, but a test of the sense of responsibility and reform capacity of the entire apparatus.
Reform is not a slogan, but an action.
Restoring trust does not come from good reports, but from every petition being answered on time, every problem being resolved thoroughly, and every citizen and business feeling respected.
If the government is resolute but ministries, sectors and localities do not move, the reform will remain on paper. But if the apparatus is truly united, just a two-week order can become a catalyst for a quiet but profound administrative reform - a reform that will boost businesses, unlock national resources and push the country forward.