Prime Minister: End the situation of shirking responsibility in handling administrative procedures

On the morning of April 19, the Government's Steering Committee for Administrative Reform held its fourth meeting to assess the implementation of administrative procedure reform associated with digital transformation to serve people and businesses.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Government's Steering Committee for Administrative Reform, chairs the 4th meeting of the Steering Committee. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

PEOPLE AND BUSINESS SATISFACTION IS INCREASINGLY HIGHER

At the meeting, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the People's Satisfaction Index with State Administrative Services in 2022 (SIPAS 2022) and the Administrative Reform Index in 2022 of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities (PAR Index 2022).

According to the rankings, Nghe An province ranked 14th out of 63 provinces and cities in terms of People's Satisfaction Index with State Administrative Services in 2022, up 21 places compared to 2021; ranked 16th out of 63 provinces and cities in terms of Administrative Reform Index in 2022, up 1 place compared to 2021.

Overview of Nghe An province bridge. Photo: Pham Bang

Presenting a report on administrative procedure reform associated with digital transformation to serve people and businesses, Minister and Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son said that with the principle of "Taking people as the center, leading reform, supporting technology", administrative procedure reform associated with digital transformation to serve people and businesses has achieved some outstanding results.

Ministries and sectors have actively implemented the reduction and simplification of business regulations under the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister. So far, 2,189 business regulations in 175 legal documents have been reduced and simplified. The Prime Minister has also approved the plan to reduce and simplify 1,099 regulations of 10 ministries and agencies.

Administrative reform index in 2022 of provinces and centrally run cities.

Promote the digitization of records and results of administrative procedure settlement. To date, 25.9% of administrative procedure settlement results have been issued with legally valid electronic copies for reuse, a 5-fold increase compared to September 2022; 62.7% of administrative procedure records have been digitized, of which 25% have been digitized throughout the process from reception to return of results in accordance with regulations, a 4-fold increase compared to September 2022.

Ministries, sectors and localities have actively restructured processes, providing 4,390 online public services on the National Public Service Portal. The National Public Service Portal has more than 6 million registered accounts; more than 186 million records with synchronized status; more than 12.5 million online records made from the Portal; more than 7.8 million online payment transactions with an amount of more than 4.8 trillion VND.

Ranking of People's Satisfaction Index on State Administrative Services in 2022.

The National Single Window Portal has implemented 250/261 online public services of 13 ministries and branches under the national single window mechanism with more than 55,000 participating enterprises. Enhanced publicity and transparency; facilitated people to monitor, supervise, evaluate and account for state agencies.

To date, more than 79.5 million electronic chip ID cards have been issued to citizens, an increase of nearly 2.9 million cards compared to 2022, over 6 million VNeID accounts have been activated; and 21/25 essential online public services have been completed to be integrated into the National Public Service Portal.

Minister, Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, reports on the topic of Administrative Procedure Reform associated with digital transformation to serve people and businesses. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

To reduce the number of levels and intermediate steps, shorten the time for administrative procedure settlement by administrative agencies, help save time and reduce costs for people and businesses in settling administrative procedures, the Prime Minister has issued a Decision approving the decentralization plan in settling administrative procedures under the management of ministries and ministerial-level agencies. To date, the decentralization plan has been implemented for 81 administrative procedures in 15 legal documents.

At the meeting, members of the Government's Steering Committee for Administrative Reform and leaders of ministries, branches and localities focused on discussing solutions and tasks for reforming administrative procedures associated with digital transformation, serving people and businesses. Many localities shared valuable experiences, lessons, and good practices in administrative reform; at the same time, proposed and recommended solutions to difficulties and obstacles.

ENHANCE THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERS IN ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that in recent times, the implementation of administrative procedure reform associated with digital transformation, serving people and businesses has achieved many positive results. The task of administrative reform, satisfying people has spread to all levels, sectors, localities, especially leaders. The people's satisfaction index and the administrative reform index in 2022 reached over 80%.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concluded the meeting. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister emphasized that administrative reform is one of the three strategic breakthrough tasks that the Party and State pay great attention to in leadership, direction, and implementation. However, administrative reform, especially administrative procedure reform associated with digital transformation, serving people and businesses, still has many "bottlenecks and bottlenecks", many obstacles, shortcomings, and limitations that hinder investment, production and business development, and people's lives.

The progress of processing legal documents has not met requirements; administrative procedures in some areas are still overlapping, have barriers, are not close to reality, causing difficulties for people and businesses. The reduction and simplification of business regulations is still slow. The issuance of internal administrative procedure settlement processes is still slow. The rate of using online public services is still low, overdue records are still high, and digitalization of records is still slow...

In the coming time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that investment in administrative reform is investment in development, considering this an important political task of each level, each sector, each unit and agency. Promote data connection in the spirit of consensus from top to bottom, and horizontal and vertical communication.

Members of the Provincial Steering Committee for Administrative Reform, leaders of departments, branches and sectors attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Identify administrative reform as a leading role, apply information technology as an effective tool to carry out tasks and solutions; strengthen administrative discipline and order; promote the role and responsibility of leaders; focus on coordination to ensure synchronization and consistency; promote decentralization, delegation of authority, and strengthen inspection and supervision.

The Head of Government requested to end the situation of shifting responsibility between agencies, ministries, branches, between the Central and local levels in handling administrative procedures; not to handle tasks that are not within the authority, or to react to policies; to handle problems related to people and businesses more quickly, promptly, and effectively; to handle officials who violate, avoid, shift responsibility, and are afraid of responsibility; to encourage and reward officials who dare to think and dare to do.

There are practical and effective solutions to prevent risks affecting administrative reform, especially administrative procedures affecting people and businesses. Focus on communication work, especially policy communication to help people understand new points and share difficult and problematic issues.

Members of the Provincial Steering Committee for Administrative Reform, leaders of departments, branches and sectors attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also requested members of the Government's Steering Committee for Administrative Reform and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and cities to continue advising and directing the implementation of administrative procedure reform according to plan, considering this as one of many tools to assess the capacity of officials.

Urgently issue amendments and supplements to legal documents under authority, cut down and simplify business regulations and unnecessary procedures; Interact more with businesses and people so that policies can be easily implemented, are closer to reality, are feasible, and bring better results.