A corner of Ho Chi Minh City (Source: sggp.org.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Ho Chi MinhCity People’s Committee has decided to devolve decision making authority todepartments and local authorities in certain areas.
It has identified 85 areas, includingcontentious ones like environment protection, construction of transportinfrastructure and land management.
For instance, district authorities can hereafterappropriate land under certain circumstances, sell State-owned housing andmanagement of waste collection and treatment.
“We hope to achieve a breakthrough inadministrative reform by giving more powers to lower level officials,” Chairmanof the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said.
“This is to make Decision No 54 of the NationalAssembly creating a special mechanism for HCM City a reality,” he added.
Tran Xuan Dien, Chairman of the District 10People’s Committee, said: “When we have more power, procedures will becomefaster and it will benefit the public and businesses because we do not need toseek permissions from the city’s authorities.”
But more power also means more works and manydistricts and departments are worried about the adequacy of human resources.
Dien added: “The city does not provide morestaff to us while works related to land management and construction requireskilled and well-educated staff. We lack such people.”
There are also worries about abuse of power ifdistricts and departments are allowed to decide sensitive issues.
“Leaders of districts and departments must takeresponsibility for what they do before the city’s People’s Committee,” said Directorof the Department of Internal Affairs Truong Van Lam.
“The municipal People’s Committee gives morepower but also more guidance, will supervise what districts and departments do.
“We have already prepared human resources,equipment and [others] and informed the public and businesses.”
Diep Van Son, an administrative reformspecialist, backed the project saying: “If the city devolves power, districtsand departments can make the best decisions because they are close to residentsand businesses.”
“But close oversight is imperative to avoidabuse of power. If there is a lack of efficiency in any area, the devolutionmust be reconsidered.”-VNA
VNA
