With the aim of building a democratic, clean, strong, professional and modern administration, operating effectively and getting closer to the public, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Phu Tho province has made enormous effort to speed up administrative reform and meet objective requirements in the cause of comprehensive renovation of the country.
To accelerate the implementation of administrative reform plan, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Phu Tho province has directed its subordinated agencies and units to closely stick to the plan to ensure the progress and effectiveness. At the same time, the department has also raised the thinking and awareness of its officials and employees to make big changes in their attitudes, behaviours and responsibility to their tasks, improve information transparency and accessibility in administrative procedures. To better convey information on administrative reform, the department has mobilised and assigned officers and employees from provincial to district levels to write articles and reports on the performance of professional duties and experience in implementation and publish new legal documents on its bulletins or websites; coordinated with the Phu Tho Radio and Television Station to produce weekly and monthly programmes on administrative reform in order to facilitate citizens and businesses to access complete, accurate and transparent information on administrative procedures.
In the first six months of 2014, the department received 165 applications through the single-window mechanism, of which 133 applications were resolved and 32 applications were being resolved (still in the stipulated pending time). It also accepted eight applications through the one-stop source mechanism, of which seven were resolved and one was pending for resettlement. At the same time, the agency reviewed administrative procedures under its jurisdiction; coordinated with the Department of Home Affairs and the World Bank to build plans to assess the satisfaction of citizens and organisations in the single-window and one-stop source mechanisms; organised conferences and meetings to assess the implementation of the Coordinating Regulation on Administrative Procedure Resolution and review administrative procedures to assess and draw experience to enhance accountability and capacity in performing their duties; received and resolved administrative procedures in a rapid, simple manner, prevented bureaucracy and harassment, and collected fees as provided by the State; and reviewed procedures concerning land, mineral and environment based on the scope of changes approved by the Provincial People’s Committee.
The department also worked with the Department of Planning and Investment to review investment rules of the one-stop source mechanism for some investment projects in the province; ensured sufficient capital for its subordinates based on budgetary plans and the laws; renovated funding mechanism for no-revenue administrative agencies and public services to encourage units and individuals to perform their tasks well; promoted democracy, openness and transparency of public finance and financial expenditures; actively modernised public administration, applied information technology to industry information disclosure, and applied national ISO9001:2008 standards to administrative procedure handling.
Currently, the department is drafting regulations on land allocation to households and individuals, and regulations on management of mineral exploration and extraction, mining rights auction, mineral store use and transportation in the province. In addition, it is cooperating with the Department of Justice to propose initiatives to the reform initiated by the Ministry of Justice and instructing its subordinates to review legal regulations they specialised in. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment also advises the provincial and local governments to strengthen environment and natural resources management in the province; ensures rational and economical exploitation and utilisation of resources together with protecting the environment and boosting socioeconomic development.
However, the department is facing with certain shortcomings like slow advice on legal documents to the Party Committee, the People’s Council and the People’s Committee at provincial and local levels. Besides, land complaints remain complicated while supervision over environmental protection and mining is lax. The above shortcomings are resulted from the management of sensitive fields while resources fall short of requirements. Regulatory documents on resources and environmental management are overlapped and incomplete.
In the coming time, the sector will continue to advise the Provincial People’s Committee on slow-moving projects; inspect environmental protection in polluting cottage industry villages and industrial zones; prevent illegal mineral extraction; perfect apparatus and enhance management efficiency; speed up public administration reform; build synchronous database system; propagandise legal documents on natural resources and environment; and raise the public awareness of natural resources and environment.
Thanh Loan
Đăng ký: VietNam News
