5 reforms government

Inside a clean clam processing line of Lenger Seafoods Vietnam. The company exports products to markets in the EU, the UK, Japan, the US, and South Korea. — Photo courtesy of Lenger Seafoods Vietnam To provide a more favourable playground for enterprises to strengthen and access international markets, Viet Nam is on a path to boost institutional improvement. And it is believed that the United Kingdom-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) is accelerating the process, said experts. As Viet Nam has signed many new free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries or regions that require more stringent standards not only on quality but also on production processes, it is crucial for local enterprises to quickly adapt to new rules. Therefore, the Government has to make changes to relevant policies to support them. The reform is building a favourable business environment, reducing transaction expenses for enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, and attracting quality … [Read more...] about UKVFTA to accelerate Viet Nam’s institutional reform

The event gathered nearly 100 participants including officials of ASEAN member states and delegates from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Australia. In her opening speech, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra, who chaired the event, said that given recent significant, unpredictable changes and challenges, the ministry chose the topic of the forum as innovation in training and capacity improvement targeting civil servants meeting requirements of international integration. The forum is an opportunity for countries to listen to, share with, and learn from one another toward narrowing the gap and encouraging cooperation within ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and partner countries of the grouping to ensure the adoption of effective governance principles, she noted. Pham Minh Hung, head of the ministry’s administrative reform department, said Vietnam has set a target to have 50-60% of officials holding managerial positions in central agencies and departments and 80% of state-owned … [Read more...] about ACCSM 21: Forum discusses good governance amid international integration

Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, who is Head of the Defense Ministry’s Steering Board for Administrative Reform and E-government Development, chaired the conference. In the first half of 2022, the administrative reform and e-government development was constantly directed and implemented by the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the Party committees and chains-of-command at all levels. The mission’s plans were issued in a timely manner and conducted seriously while relevant legal documents continued to be completed. The building and development of e-government and digital government witnessed positive outcomes while the information safety and security was enhanced. The defense ministry integrated 23 administrative procedures into the national public service portal, established software to manage documents and files with digital signature, and more. Speaking at the event, Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh applauded … [Read more...] about Whole-military enhance administrative reform and e-government development

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Many prestigious international organisations and experts have highly valued Vietnam’s development achievements and prospects, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a government meeting in Hanoi on August 3. The leader cited forecast by Standard Chartered , VinaCapital, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and the Asian Development Bank ( ADB ) as saying Vietnam’s GDP will grow from 6.5% to 6.9% this year. Vietnam has maintained macro-economic stability and major balances, and put inflation under control, creating an important foundation for rapid, sustainable socio-economic recovery and development, he emphasised. Regarding tasks and solutions in the time ahead, the PM asked ministries and agencies to implement their set tasks and plans, and tackle both pending and emerging issues. Priorities should be given to consolidating institutions, he said, urging ministries, agencies and localities to … [Read more...] about Int’l organisations upbeat on Vietnam’s development prospects: PM

This year, Hanoi targets the PAR Index score to reach 92.55, four points higher than the 88.54 points recorded last year and moving up one or two places in the ranking. Hanoi aims to further improve its performance in the Public Administration Reform Index (Par Index), rising above its 10th position last year to ensure a higher quality of public services and public satisfaction. Citizens submitting administrative requests at Thanh Tri District People's Committee. Photo: The Hanoi Times This year, Hanoi targets the PAR Index score to reach 92.55, four points higher than the 88.54 points recorded last year and moving up one or two places in the ranking. To realize this goal, the municipal People’s Committee has released an action plan to maintain the last year's high scores of sub-components and assign the Department of Internal Affairs to map out measures and address fields in which modest grades were scored. Among the key criteria, the city’s authorities … [Read more...] about Hanoi eyes further improvements in public services quality

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting of the National Committee on Digital Transformation in Hanoi on August 8. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 described digital transformation as an important tool for the building of an independent and self-reliant economy and the extensive and effective integration into the world. He made the remark while chairing the third meeting of the National Committee on Digital Transformation in Hanoi. The Ministry of Information and Communications reported that digital transformation was promoted strongly and reaped encouraging outcomes in the first half of 2022. So far, 100% of the enterprises have used e-invoices, e-commerce revenue reached 11.27% of total retail sales (compared to the target of 7%), 66% of the people aged 15 and above had payment accounts (1% higher than the target), 70.91% of the adults owned smartphones (compared to the target of 85%), and 71.75% of all the households used … [Read more...] about Digital transformation crucial to an independent, self-reliant economy: PM

The ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam on July 29 (Photo: qdnd.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPO) under the Ministry of Science and Technology celebrated its 40th anniversary with a ceremony in Hanoi on July 29. IPO Director Dinh Huu Phi said the establishment of industrial property rights is one of the focal tasks of the office since its inception and becoming increasingly important because the surging number of applications for industrial property requires better handling of applications while trade disputes and complaints are also on the rise. By the end of June, the IPO had received nearly 1 million applications for industrial property and granted nearly 600,000 certificates of industrial property protection of all types. The official also highlighted his office’s efforts to promote task performance by improving governance, reforming administrative procedures, applying … [Read more...] about Intellectual Property Office marks 40th anniversary

The partnership will drive socio-economic development by benefitting more than 200,000 students and equip them with skills to thrive in an increasingly competitive global market. The United States on August 1 launched a five-year, US$14.2-million partnership with three leading Vietnamese universities to strengthen higher education in Vietnam. The funding, through US Agency for International Development (USAID), is part of the Partnership for Higher Education Reform announced by Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to Hanoi in August 2021 will collaborate with universities, key government officials, and industry partners in Vietnam. Under the USAID-supported project, US partner Indiana University will work with Vietnam’s three largest universities including Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM), Vietnam National University-Hanoi (VNU-HN), and the University of Danang (UD) to improve their academic quality, enhance institutional governance, and enable … [Read more...] about US helps strengthen Vietnam’s higher education in US$14-million partnership

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (eighth from left) poses for a photo with the guests. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh hosted a reception in Hanoi on August 4 for heads of delegations of ASEAN and ASEAN Plus 3 countries to the 21st ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM 21). Welcoming the guests, Minh said that in terms of civil service cooperation, ASEAN countries have built a vision for the ASEAN Community in 2025, which targets building a strong ASEAN on three pillars: political-security cooperation, economic cooperation, and socio-culture cooperation. All these three pillars are people-oriented, thus contributing to building good governance in all areas, he stressed. According to Deputy PM Minh, building civil service governance for the people will improve ASEAN's role and help the bloc develop. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh welcomes heads of delegations to ACCSM 21. (Photo: VNA) Minh also … [Read more...] about Deputy PM hosts heads of delegations to ACCSM 21

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 4 commended efforts by the banking sector in digital transformation with diverse products and services for people and businesses. Addressing “Digital transformation day of the banking sector ” in Hanoi, Chinh, who is also head of the National Committee on Digital Transformation , stressed that the sector has played a significant role in national digital transformation. He urged the sector to further reform its management methods towards modernity and transparency, and diversify and improve the quality of its products and services, contributing to fighting money laundering. The sector should work to understand more about the demand of people, businesses and credit institutions to devise suitable legal documents, facilitating the application of digital technologies in banking services, the PM went on. He asked the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to … [Read more...] about PM lauds digital transformation in banking sector