ASEAN workshop: Public role in policy making on table

Hanoi (VNA) - A workshop sharing experience on enhancing the role of the people in the decision-making process in ASEAN member nations was held online by the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs on November 3.

In his opening remarks, Director of the ministry’s International Cooperation Department, Chu Tuan Tu, said the workshop was among activities held within the framework of Vietnam’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020.

It focused on evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of policies and decision-making process and defining the role of the people in the policy-making process, and shared experience, good practice, and initiatives of ASEAN member countries in promoting the role of the people in public management in general and in policy making in particular.

According to Hoang Minh Hieu from the National Assembly Office, Vietnam’s legislature has organised activities via the online form to contribute to promoting this manner of consultation and enhancing the efficiency of policy making.

The NA Office launched a website in 2017 to provide more convenient tools for people to easily contribute comments on law projects, ordinances, and legal documents, he said.

It is necessary, he went on, to diversify consultation methods to improve the efficiency of public consultation on law and ordinance projects, especially in the digital form, thus promoting interactions between NA agencies, the people, businesses, and organisations.
A representative from Brunei emphasised the crucial role of people in assessing plans to promote national development.

In Brunei, community participation is a common initiative to assist the government in coping with economic and social challenges, as well in policy making, the representative said.  

Meanwhile, a representative of the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs said public opinion plays an important role in making decisions, and the Lao Government recognises the participation of people in the policy-building process in the country.

The representative said the Lao Government also takes the measure of people’s satisfaction and embraces recommendations to better improve public services, especially in education, healthcare, clean water supply, and public transportation./.