Today, the HCMC People's Committee convened a conference to dissect the outcomes of the city's administrative reform indexes for 2023.
In his opening statement at the conference, Chairman Phan Van Mai of the HCMC People's Committee noted the sluggish progress in the city's administrative reform indexes over recent years. Currently, HCMC ranks among the lower tier of the 63 provinces and cities, which does not align with the significant efforts exerted by the city during this period.
Chairman Phan Van Mai urged delegates to analyze and assess why the desired outcomes have not been achieved, despite the city's considerable efforts, determination, and focus. Subsequently, specific solutions should be proposed to address these issues and improve the situation in the current year.
Mr. Phan Van Mai has set targets for 2024, stressing that HCMC must notably enhance these indexes compared to 2023. According to Mr. Mai, HCMC's goal to rank among the top 10-15 provinces and cities in terms of administrative reform indexes has been clear from the start. Consequently, the city must work towards this goal, with leaders of agencies, units, and localities devising specific implementation plans for the coming time.
In her report at the conference, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs, Phan Kieu Thanh Huong, shared that according to the Ministry of Home Affairs' announcement for 2023, HCMC's Public Administration Reform (PAR INDEX) reached 86.97 points, placing it 33rd out of 63 provinces and cities, an improvement in both score and ranking, with all eight areas surpassing the national average. This result shows a three-notch increase from 2022, where the score was 84.70 points, securing the 36th position, and a ten-notch increase from 2021, where the score was 86.05 points, securing the 43rd position.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs observed that while HCMC has seen improvements in its scores and rankings, the outcomes are still not optimal, failing to meet the target of being among the top 15 leading provinces and cities nationwide in this regard.
Regarding the Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) and social investigation, on January 4, HCMC completed the social investigation to determine the city's Public Administration Reform Index for 2023. The results showed that HCMC scored 16.89 out of 22 points, ranking 59th out of 63 provinces and cities. This reflects an improvement compared to 2022, where the score was 15.74 out of 22, placing it 63rd. HCMC's social investigation score has increased by 1.15 points, moving up four places.
In 2023, the satisfaction index among citizens and organizations regarding the services provided by State administrative agencies in HCMC reached 81.78 percent, ranking 36th out of 63 provinces and cities. This represents a notable increase from 2022, where the satisfaction rate was 78.38 percent, placing it 43rd. The improvement reflects a 3.4 percent rise in citizen satisfaction with the services provided by State administrative agencies in the city, moving up seven places compared to 2022.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs disclosed that HCMC's administrative reform index has seen improvement in two out of eight areas that have historically lagged behind (namely, organizational restructuring and public service regime reform). However, the city still lacks significant progress overall. This stagnation is primarily attributed to the institutional reform sector, which has consistently ranked low for several years, particularly in addressing illegal documents due to delays and insufficient scrutiny by the competent authorities.
Furthermore, the city receives and handles a large volume of documents. However, the percentage of files with publicly disclosed resolution outcomes on HCMC's e-government portal remains notably low compared to other provinces and cities. In the realm of developing electronic and digital governance, HCMC has yet to meet several targets, such as offering online public services, establishing an administrative procedure resolution information system, and digitizing data.
Through the analysis, the Department of Home Affairs in HCMC suggests implementing frequent evaluations to assess the accountability of leaders in directing and managing the handling of public feedback and petitions. It also proposes actively monitoring and engaging in social discussions regarding the assessment results and determination of the PAR Index and the SIPAS across all levels of departments, committees, sectors, and People's Committees.
Concurrently, it suggests a concentrated effort to enhance decentralization and delegation in specific areas linked with inspection and oversight tasks; accelerate the review, reorganize functional tasks, and streamline organizational structures to improve effectiveness and efficiency; and consolidate the focal points of public service units.
Furthermore, the Department puts forward streamlining administrative procedures, restructuring internal workflows, and minimizing intermediaries; ensuring the progress of document digitization and data synchronization; continuing to review and eliminate institutional and procedural obstacles; establishing specific plans that outline the responsibilities of organizations and individuals, along with implementation timelines, to expedite the disbursement of public investment funds.
The Department of Home Affairs also recommends intensifying reforms in the civil service regime, improving discipline, adhering to standards of conduct, and addressing situations where officials and civil servants hesitate to propose, push forward, or evade responsibilities.
