Administrative Reform Success from High Determination, Great Effort and Firm Action

By leading the nation in both the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) and the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS) in 2024, Hai Phong has redemonstrated its active and determined approach to administrative reform. These efforts have contributed to improving the business environment and enabled the city to achieve remarkable milestones in investment attraction and economic development.

Strong performance

According to the 2024 PAR Index released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Hai Phong City ranked first with a score of 96.17%, gaining 430 more percentage points and climbing one place from 2023. This was the second time the city led the country in this index (the last time was in 2021). Among 13 releases of the PAR Index, Hai Phong stood in Top 5 for 12 consecutive years, with seven years securing the 2nd place out of 63 provinces and cities.

Moreover, the SIPAS Index 2024 of Hai Phong scored 90.59%, an increase of 1.69%, marking the first time the city has topped the satisfaction ranking. Notably, it ranked highest nationwide in public satisfaction with policy making and enforcement as well as the delivery of public administrative services.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Duong, Director of the Hai Phong Department of Home Affairs, stated that this achievement is the result of a sustained effort, portraying the long-term commitment and strong leadership of the Hai Phong Party Committee, the Hai Phong People’s Council and the Hai Phong People’s Committee. It also illustrated the ongoing endeavor of the entire government.

Governance and administrative management have been reformed, reflecting an active and decisive approach. The Hai Phong People’s Committee has promptly issued concrete directives and policies while also establishing mechanisms to measure the accountability of leaders in administrative reform. Remarkably, leadership efforts have been highly focused on removing obstacles and fostering an enabling business environment.

In 2024, the Standing Board of the Hai Phong Party Committee successfully hosted a dialogue conference with nearly 600 FDI businesses. Hai Phong also opened the Vietnam Innovation and Startup Week 2024. Hai Phong continued to effectively operate its special task force dedicated to resolving obstacles and providing strong support for businesses and investors.

At the same time, the city stepped up administrative reform efforts by streamlining procedures and promoting the use of online public services to create a more favorable environment for both citizens and businesses. The time required to issue business registration certificates has been reduced to under 1.5 days, while investment procedure processing time has been cut by 30-60%. The time to issue land-use right certificates has also been shortened, with some procedures now completed in just 5-10 days

Hai Phong established an electronic single-window information system, fully integrated across all three levels of government and connected to 23 information systems and databases of ministries and central agencies. The rate of end-to-end online application processing has exceeded 90%.

Besides, the city has continued to streamline and restructure its administrative apparatus effectively. From 2015 to 2021, the city rearranged to reduce 105 public service units and six commune-level administrative units. Since 2022, a further 99 public service units have been eliminated, along with eight agencies under municipal departments, two sub-departments under municipal departments, 23 specialized units under municipal departments and sub-departments, and 50 commune-level administrative units. In many key areas such as land management, urban planning, investment and state budgeting, authority has been increasingly decentralized to local agencies and authorities.

At the same time, Hai Phong has strengthened administrative discipline and fostered digital transformation. In 2024, Hai Phong’s Digital Transformation Index (DTI) ranked 8th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, advancing six places from 2023.

For more effective and substantive administrative reform

Strong administrative reform efforts have enabled Hai Phong to make remarkable achievements during the doi moi (renovation) period. In 2024, the city became the first and only in the country to maintain double-digit economic growth for 10 consecutive years. Its economic scale continued to expand, and foreign direct investment (FDI) reached US$4.7 billion, 2.35 times the given target.

To uphold these outcomes and make administrative reform more effective and substantive, Hai Phong will continue to thoroughly implement key tasks and solutions under the Master Program on State Administrative Reform for the 2021-2030 period, tailored to locally specific conditions and realities, said Director Duong.

A key focus will be placed on strengthening information technology application, accelerating digital transformation and leveraging scientific and technological advances to complete the construction and development of e-government and digital government.

Efforts will also center on improving quality, fostering a renewed mindset, enhancing awareness and responsibility, and inspiring ambition for better service among public employees at all levels. Training and capacity building will be strengthened to raise professional knowledge and skills, especially for those directly involved in administrative reform and handling administrative procedures across agencies and localities.

Adequate financial and human resources will be allocated to support administrative reform. Hai Phong will continue actively streamlining its political apparatus in line with central directives. The civil service workforce will be restructured to create opportunities for advancement and development for individuals who demonstrate responsibility, innovation and creativity.

In addition, Hai Phong will innovate methods for regularly monitoring and evaluating the performance of administrative reform tasks. Frequent surveys will be conducted to assess public and organizational satisfaction with the handling of administrative procedures by government agencies at all levels.

“Hai Phong will continue to speed up administrative reform, aiming to build and perfect a state administration that is people-centered, professional, modern, effective and efficient. The city is committed to creating a truly transparent, healthy and equitable investment and business environment to deliver real utilities and best services to both businesses and citizens,” he stressed.

Ngoc Tung (Vietnam Business Forum)