HA NOI (VNS)— Da Nang has topped the Provincial Public Administration Reform Index for 2013, fulfilling 87 per cent of the criteria on reform completion, nearly 10 per cent higher than the national average of about 78 per cent.
The figures for the country's 63 provinces and cities plus 19 ministries and ministerial-level agencies, were released by the Ministry of Home Affairs at a meeting in Ha Noi yesterday.
Closely behind Da Nang lay Hai Phong City with 86.93 per cent, and Binh Duong province with nearly 87 per cent. The northern province of Son La came last in the index with nearly 59 per cent.
Thirty provinces and cities fared better than in 2012. They included Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Binh Thuan, Ha Tinh, Dong Nai, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh. Thirty other provinces and cities ranked lower.
Dong Nai jumped to 17th position from 43rd last year, meeting over 80 per cent over the criteria for reform completion.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport ranked top in the Ministerial Public Administration Reform Index with 81 per cent, followed by the State Bank of Viet Nam with about 80 per cent, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just a little lower.
The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs came last with 66.71 per cent.
The 2013 index showed that seven ministries had slipped compared to 2012, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Government Inspectorate, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs.
Meanwhile, nine ministries improved their rankings, namely the Ministry of Transport, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Health.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Phuc said that based on the report, ministries and localities should develop measures to remedy their shortcomings.
He also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to make the index more transparent and practical.
