This is the conclusion by Mr Pham Gia Tuc, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) at a meeting on task performance on public administration reform of enterprises on June 25, 2013. He is also the Vice President of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform and the Chief of the Board I, which is responsible for enterprise-related administration reform.
Mr Tuc said that although administration reform has achieved significant results, administrative procedures still have a lot of shortcomings and limitations which take time and money of businesses and citizens. The Government always defines administrative procedure reform as an important task of the overall public administration reform programme in order to build a transparent, professional, effective and efficient administration to facilitate the improvement of investment and business environment for the robust development of the nation.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Le Hong Son, Deputy Minister of Justice stressed that the establishment of the Council is the Government’s next step of public administration reform where beneficiaries are citizens and enterprises. Being responsible for reforming enterprise-related administrative procedures, the Board I needs to promote its huge roles and responsibilities of experts and members to put forth initiatives for administrative procedure reform, thus helping resolve difficulties against enterprises, better the business and investment environment, and build up a powerful national administration. He also added that in addition to conducting surveys, assessments and putting forth initiatives for a better business and investment environment, the Board I in particular and the Council in general must study solutions to attract foreign investment into Vietnam. The Board, which is led by Mr Tuc, Vice President of VCCI – an agency representative of business community – is a great advantage to perform this task.
Dr Vu Tien Loc, VCCI President, affirmed that one of the causes of weak competitiveness and difficult foreign investment attraction is onerous administrative procedures. This is also a major concern of many individuals and businesses. In the coming time, the Board I and the Council should focus on resolving administrative procedure problems concerning in foreign and domestic investment. He also hoped and recommended the Council pay particular attention to enterprises’ feedbacks because the satisfaction of citizens and businesses play the most important role and always works as the most accurate measure of the Board’s and the Council’s performances.
| On April 10, 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced the Prime Minister’s Decision on the establishment of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform. The Council consists of 26 members, chaired by Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong. Vice chairpersons and members are leaders of ministries, agencies, and domestic and foreign social and professional associations. The Council is responsible for advising and recommending the Prime Minister on administration reform initiatives concerning production and business activities of enterprises and livelihoods of citizens. The Council’s experts and members shall independently advise on administration reform initiatives, thus helping enhance dialogue effectiveness between State and the people, and improve accountability of competent agencies and organisations. |
Regarding administrative procedure reform in localities, Dr Loc emphasised that, in recent years, the provincial competitiveness index (PCI) is a useful tool for provincial/municipal leaders to study and reform administrative procedures. For that reason, the Council should work closely with PCI survey activities to achieve the highest operating efficiency. He also recommended that persons and agencies in charge study foreign experience in addition to studying and generalising domestic models. He placed particular expectations on consultancies of foreign experts, organisations and associations for Vietnam to better public administration reform in a bid to facilitate investment and business activities. VCCI and the business community will join and work closely with the Board I in particular and the Council in general to perform these difficult but extremely important tasks.
Mr Pham Gia Tuc said the Board I will carry out investment-related activities, summarise recommendations and feedbacks on difficulties and problems enterprises confront in performing administrative procedures, and reform administrative procedures in the Council’s operations. The Board will report any emerging problems to the Council when they perform its tasks. He stressed that VCCI will endeavour to support the Board I to carry out its plans in the future. In particular, VCCI will host two dialogue conferences on tax and customs with businesses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in October 2013 and integrate administration reform contents with VCCI members in 2013.
At the meeting, representatives of foreign organisations and associations like the Japan Business Association in Vietnam, the United States Chamber of Commerce and EuroCham also gave advice and suggestions to future activities and detailed plans of the Board and pledged to collect opinions of foreign companies in Vietnam to send recommendations to the Council. However, participating associations recommended the Board I and the Council enquire into specific groups and simplify questionnaires sent to enterprises.
Thu Ha
Đăng ký: VietNam News