Only 15 percent of administrative reforms completed

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Only 15 percent of business and investment conditions have been cut or simplified since the start of the year despite the fact that a deadline set by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is approaching.

The PM’s directive, issued at the start of the year, stipulated that ministries must submit proposals on how they would do so by August 15. Administrative reforms are viewed as a key way of boosting growth.

Only 15.2 percent of 5,905 procedures have been slashed or simplified, nearly 35 percent short of the target of 50 percent.

Some ministries have been active in boosting administrative reforms, such as the Ministry of Construction (MoC) and Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

By the end of July, the MoC had cut or simplified 85 percent of the 215 business and investment conditions under its management, and eliminated five of its 17 conditional business lines. The proportion exceeded the target by 35 percent.

Meanwhile, the MoIT had also slashed 55 percent of its administrative procedures.

However, some ministries had fallen far behind schedule, including the Ministry of Transport with 249 procedures waiting to be cut, the Ministry of Finance (223), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (171), the Ministry of Education and Training (121) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (82).

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan told Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper that MARD had recommended abolishing 152 categories of goods and products subject to specialised inspections under the ministry’s management, accounting for 60.6 percent of the total.

Many goods subject to quarantine inspections, quality control and food safety requirements would also be removed, Tuan said.

“The ministry has directed all agencies to implement the plan, and a decree on investment conditions has been submitted to the Government for comments,” he said, confirming that many issues were being urgently implemented and likely be completed on schedule on August 15.

However, a number of complex issues concerning many agencies would not be rolled out and completed in August, said Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, head of the ministry’s Legal Department.

According to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho, the ministry had reviewed and agreed to cut 69/134 (accounting for 51.5 percent) of the number of products subject to specialised inspections in the motor vehicle, specialised motorcycles, maritime shipping and railway sectors.

The ministry has also proposed cutting clearance times for 7/9 administrative procedures related to specialised inspections (accounting for 77.8 percent). In the meantime, relevant agencies are continuing to review where they can cut more red tape.-VNS/VNA