by Vu Kim Chung
21-3-2000
The Vietnamese government in March 2000 announced new measures to speed up its administrative reform. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai appointed his deputy Nguyen Tan Dung as deputy head of the Government Steering Board for Administrative Reform to speed up administrative reform of the country. Other key members of the steering board were also appointed by Khai during his working session with the board early in March in Hanoi.
The meeting aimed at reviewing accomplishments and shortcomings of the board in the recent months prior to the meeting as well as defining its tasks in the first half of 2000. Khai identified several important tasks of this year, which include reviewing, readjusting and supplementing functions, tasks and administrative power of administrative agencies. Those tasks must be completed at key ministries in the first half of 2000, said Khai, adding that his government would study initial administrative reform results of key ministries to issue official decisions on the re-organization of agencies under the control of the government and give inter-ministerial instructions.
Localities including Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nghe An,Quang Ninh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau have exerted great efforts in working out new administrative reform ways to improve management operations in conformity with the new economic mechanism, the VNA reported. However, it said there remain a number of shortcomings and weaknesses in administrative reform activities that fail to meet the requirements of the National Assembly and the government.