Yen Bai province has always defined administrative reform as the most important solution for a service-styled government and an open and enabling business environment. Therefore, over the past years, thanks to administrative reform, the province has significantly raised the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI). Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr. Dinh Xuan Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs, on this topic. Ngoc Tung reports.

Could you briefly introduce administrative reform in Yen Bai province in 2020?

Over the past years, Yen Bai province has adopted consistent solutions to strongly shift from “administrative” to “service-based” thinking. The province has paid attention to renewing leadership methods, improving administrative quality, and building a democratic and modern administration in order to enhance competitiveness and bolster the investment and economic environment.

In particular, the province has drastically changed perceptions of civil servants to adapt to new thinking (from administration to service); change the vision of each individual to encourage them to raise their initiatives for better work done. State administrative agencies have kept a close attitude to people and businesses to hear their feedback so that “we give what people need not what we have.”

The province has focused on upgrading public administrative service quality, which is an important step to modernize and professionalize the administration. Since 2018, the province has operated the Provincial Public Administration Service Center and similar divisions at district and commune levels to enhance operational quality and raise the outcome of administrative settlement for organizations and individuals. This is an important step to boost the business investment environment and raise the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI). In particular, the completion of public service portals and single-window electronic information systems of the province has enabled smooth interconnectivity across all three levels of administration.

In the coming time, Yen Bai province will further renovate and improve the quality of public administrative services like planning and implementing the entire process of receiving, appraising, approving, and returning administrative procedures (with result) at the public administrative service centers. These procedures, electronically signed, are flexibly settled with high effectiveness, publicity and transparency, with less cost and time needed. 

What has the province achieved with administrative reform in 2011-2020?

Over the past 10 years, the province’s administrative reform has achieved remarkable results, with a lot of clear progress in all six contents: Legal documents were drafted within its jurisdiction in a strict and focused manner; Administrative procedures were reformed consistently, with many innovations and many positive results; The apparatus of administrative bodies was consolidated, streamlined and operated effectively; Public employees were arranged according to their positions, with improved quality; public finance reform was firmly carried out. Administrative modernization was effectively focused.

With the above efforts, the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) of the province has steadily increased in the past years, from No. 56 out of 63 provinces and cities in 2016 to No. 26 in 2019. Its Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS) ranked No. 19 out of 63 provinces and cities, with a satisfaction rate of 86.84%.

The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2019 of Yen Bai province ranked No. 36 out of 63 provinces and cities, standing among well-governed localities, 15 places higher than in 2015.

As an advisory body to the Provincial People's Committee on administrative reform, what plans do you propose for the 2020 - 2025 period?

Yen Bai province has defined administrative reform as one of three breakthrough stages of socio-economic development strategy and one of key tasks of all levels, branches and localities. The province uses public and business satisfaction as a performance measure of authorities at all levels and leadership and competence of agency leaders.

The province will try to be among the best performers of administrative reform and business climate improvement in the northern upland and mountainous region in the next 10 years, among Top 10 provinces and cities in PAR Index and Top 20 in the PCI Index and the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI Index).

To achieve these goals, based on administrative reform results in 2011 - 2020, the guidance of the government, the resolution of the 19th Yen Bai Provincial Party Congress, the department will continue to build, coordinate and direct the serious and effective implementation of the province's annual and 2021 - 2030 master programs to match administration requirements and local socio-economic development plans.