Accelerating the simplification of administrative procedures

Administrative reform in general, and administrative procedure reform in particular, has delivered notable results in recent years. During implementation, ministries and sectors have continued to review and eliminate cumbersome and overlapping procedures, while developing plans to simplify administrative processes.

According to the Government’s assessment, some ministries and ministerial-level agencies remain behind schedule and have yet to meet targets for cutting and simplifying administrative procedures as required by central authorities. Notably, only three ministries have fulfilled all criteria, while several others have failed to meet any targets, affecting overall reform goals and efforts to reduce costs for citizens and businesses.

All 16 ministries and ministerial-level agencies have proposed plans to streamline procedures; however, only three, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Ministry of Construction, and Ministry of Justice, have fully met the targets. Meanwhile, three ministries have not achieved any targets, and many others have fallen short on key criteria such as reducing processing time by 50%, cutting compliance costs by 50%, and eliminating 100% of unnecessary business conditions.

At present, administrative procedure reform has yielded significant progress. Digital transformation applications have made it increasingly convenient for citizens to complete procedures that previously required multiple in-person steps at government offices. Simplifying procedures has helped reduce both time and costs for citizens and businesses, while enhancing transparency and efficiency in state management.

However, administrative reform efforts continue to require strong direction across all levels and sectors. Without decisive leadership and strict monitoring, citizens and businesses may continue to face burdens in terms of time and cost, undermining socio-economic development goals. Delays among several ministries highlight the need for greater accountability, linking individual responsibility to reform outcomes to ensure the development of a modern, service-oriented public administration.

Duc Anh