Spreading Effects of Administrative Reform

At a recent meeting of the Advisory Council for the Administrative Procedure Reform, Mr Pham Gia Tuc, a council member, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), proposed the establishment of a more flexible consulting organisation than the current advisory council.

The Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform was established on June 23, 2008 with 15 members. The council chairman is Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc and 14 other members are representatives from domestic and international professional associations, research institutions, and other international organizations. After two years of operation, the council has achieved positive results and greatly contributing to the overall results of the Project 30.

 

According to Mr Phuc, the Prime Minister highly appreciated the roles and activities of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform in the implementation of Project 30. The council has collaborated with the Prime Minister’s Administrative Procedure Reform Special Task Force in many activities since the Project 30 was initiated. The contributions of the council are very important for the success of the Project 30, reflected in training and introductory activities (first phase) and reviewing of feedbacks and proposals (second, third and following phases).

 

According to insiders and experts, the reviewing will help cut down 30 % of current administrative procedures and save VND30 trillion of compliance fees a year. However, according to Mr Ngo Hai Phan, Deputy Head of the Prime Minister’s Administrative Procedure Reform Special Task Force, to realise the above objective, the reassessment must be deeper and stronger. The task force is working with the council to build more than 5,000 plans to simplify administrative procedures.

 

Alain Cany, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (Eurocham) and a council member, said: The completion of two-thirds of the Project 30 reflected the success and the right policy of the Vietnamese Government in administrative procedure reform. The introduction of the Resolution 25 by the Vietnamese Government can be considered a historical turning point. The Vietnamese Government has never made such a powerful action on its administration. Needless to say, the remaining one-third of the project is extremely important. We will continue to cooperate to make the Project 30 successful.

 

Remarking on the attitude of cooperation, Mr Frederick Burke, a representative from the United States Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (Amcham) and a council member, said Vietnamese ministries, branches and enterprises have fruitfully cooperated to reviewing administrative procedure simplification. Amcham has participated in many reviewing workgroups and known a serious working attitude of all parties concerned. Reviewing results are accurately reflected on the Resolution 25 of the Prime Minister. The Project 30 has confirmed the Vietnamese Government’s determination and desire to boost cooperation and attract investment from other economies. On behalf of US businesses in Vietnam, Mr Frederick Burke expressed his strong desire for deeper cooperation with the Vietnamese Government in the public administration reform. US businesses want to forge more intensive and extensive cooperation with Vietnamese companies for mutual development.

 

Mr Vo Quoc Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam Young Business Association and a council member, also expressed the hope for continuous reviewing of administrative procedure reform. To match economic development, many new public administrative procedures will be introduced. The effects of the Project 30 need to be spread out. People and businesses should be informed more of the project to get familiar with it.

 

To maintain continuity and multiplicity of the Project 30 effects, Pham Gia Tuc, Vice President of VCCI, proposed the formation of a successive unit for the Advisory Council. According to Mr Tuc, apart from core members as now, the Advisory Council admits business associations, enterprises and experts.

 

Apart from the softer regulation on memberships, operating costs of the council should be socialised. The council continues maintaining its advisory activities for administrative reform by collecting opinions and feedbacks of the people and enterprises. The council also coordinates with the Administrative Procedure Monitoring Department and other monitoring agencies affiliated to ministries, sectors and localities in reviewing and controlling amendments to existing procedures and issuance of new ones.

 

As a representative for the business community and entrepreneurs, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has continuously contacted and experienced every activity of the business community. Through meetings and dialogues jointly held with ministries, sectors and localities, VCCI has received many comments and proposals for public administration reform from companies. VCCI has also coordinated with VNCI to complete the provincial competitiveness index (PCI). The above continuous activities are the groundwork for VCCI to propose the formation of a successive organisation to continue the roles of the Advisory Council. This entity will play a bridging role for enterprises public administrative issuing and implementing.

 

Sharing the opinions of VCCI, Amcham and Eurocham representatives expressed their standpoints on the establishment of a successive council for the Advisory Council. With greater expectations, Mr Alain Cany, said: the new council will function as an information linker in enforcing and issuing administrative procedures. In fact, many administrative procedures are very good but are mistranslated or intentionally confused by implementers.

 

The proposal by VCCI also receives supports from many council members as well as representatives of the Vietnam Banks Association or the Vietnam Young Business Association. All opinions share the continuity and multiplicity of effects of the Project 30.

 

After 2010, the establishment of an independent watchdog for administrative procedure reviewing is necessary. The interaction mechanism between the private sector and the State in the Project 30 should be maintained and promoted. This is the proposal of the Advisory Council.