Administrative Reform Is Key Task

As an advisor to the Provincial People's Committee on public administration reform in the province, the Department of Home Affairs proposed the Provincial People's Committee direct comprehensive reform of six contents, especially reforming administrative procedures, reforming civil service regime, building of digital government and reforming administrative apparatus. As a result, in 2022, its Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) ranked 17th out of 63 provinces and cities in the country, climbing five places in the ranking over 2021.

Practical successes have been achieved in two areas that the department directly consults: Reforming the administrative apparatus and reforming the civil service regime. The province reduced 165 units, from specialized units to non-business units, compared to 2020. This helped it achieve the goal of staff downsizing as required by the Government. Public employees are becoming more professional and qualified to perform their tasks well. Compared to 2012, the province has 23 more employees holding doctoral degrees (growing by 0.12%), 1,954 more employees holding master degrees (10.6%) and 5,518 more employees holding bachelor degrees (up 29.8%). Meanwhile, employees holding lower educational degrees fell by 4,793 or down 25.91%.

In addition, regular and extraordinary probes into administrative discipline and office culture have promptly corrected and changed the perception and responsibility of public employees in performing their duties, especially in serving people and businesses.

Mr. Dinh Cong Toan, Director of the Ninh Binh Department of Home Affairs, said: Continuing its optimistic work results and deeply being aware of difficulties and challenges in the way ahead, the department will continue to advise the Provincial People's Committee to build a lean apparatus that operates effectively and efficiently; restructure and improve the quality and capacity of public employees; and speed up public administration reform, with focus placed on administrative procedure reform which uses satisfaction of people and organizations as an effective measure.

To achieve these goals, in the coming period, the province will further strengthen leadership and direction in carrying out study and research on central and provincial resolutions and regulations to raise awareness and knowledge and create high consensus of administrative agencies and public employees in the implementation process. The province will review, arrange and perfect the organizational structure of administrative agencies and public non-business units to ensure efficiency and compliance with regulations and streamline the apparatus and downsize the staff. At the same time, it will continue to improve the quality of human resources, train, foster and raise qualifications, capacity, perception, responsibility, spirit and manner of public employees at work.

Last but not least, the department will advise the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee to effectively implement annual public administration reform (PAR) plans as well as the PAR Plan in the 2021 - 2030 period to complete its goals as expected...

By Ngo San, Vietnam Business Forum