Dong Nai: Breakthrough in Administrative Reform

 

One place for many procedures
The Dong Nai Public Administrative Centre, which started official operation on May 15, 2017, is assigned to perform the following tasks: Carrying out key tasks stated in the Public Administration Reform Programme, building a professional, effective administrative system, forming a modern application reception and result delivery units to meet requirements of organisations and citizens for public administrative services; raising the performance of State apparatus in handling administrative procedures; building and developing a strong contingent of capable, responsible, dedicated and professional civil servants to better serve people; building and upgrading the quality of public services and taking organisations, citizens and enterprises as the heart of service and creating their high satisfaction in the settlement of administrative procedures; and publicising administrative procedures and related fees on the electronic information portal of Dong Nai province to lay another stepping stone towards an electronic administrative environment (at Level 3-4).

 

The centre is situated in SONADEZI Building, No. 1, Street 1, Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Bien Hoa City, with 48 receptionist counters divided into four sections. The first section includes the Department of Planning and Investment and investment support divisions. The second section consists of reception counters of Provincial Police, Fire Prevention and Fighting Police. The third and fourth sections are used by relevant departments and agencies. The whole process of receiving and handling applications performed by related departments is strictly controlled by the province's modern software system, which makes settlement processes clear, transparent and punctual.

According to the Dong Nai Department of Internal Affairs, to facilitate people and enterprises, the centre is allowed to use peer-to-peer connection methods, or administrative procedure counters of relevant departments and agencies. The centre also has a supervisory panel in charge of overseeing the settlement of administrative procedures in order to link similar procedures into one place to help people and enterprises to fulfil administrative procedures quickly and achieve desired results.
Dong Nai province’s difference from other localities is, before the centre's inauguration, Dong Nai province had successfully carried out a pilot programme in land field in Nhon Trach district and the one-place single-window mechanism in Trang Bom district and Bien Hoa City, and the single-window mechanism in 171 commune-level units. Therefore, when the centre was put into operation, applicants can file their documents to any place and stage they want as well as choose settlement methods, direct or indirect.

Further improvement
Reportedly, in the first three weeks of operation, the Public Administrative Centre received over 5,000 application forms. Most citizens and people felt satisfied with the service provided by civil servants at the centre. However, this was just the beginning and it would take much effort for better.

At a working session on the early centre operation with relevant departments and agencies in early June, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Vinh hailed coordination efforts of departments and agencies concerned for the smooth operation of the Public Administrative Centre. He stressed that they will work together to agree on reception of applications and delivery of results on the Egov software for administrative convenience in the coming time.

The provincial government also assigned the Department of Finance to complete fee and charge collection in various forms like cash, credit card and ATM card at the Public Administrative Centre; designated the Department of Internal Affairs to complete reports on support allowances for civil servants working at the Public Administrative Centre and review district-level administrative procedures to enable the centre to handle more administrative procedures, thus helping citizens to reduce waiting time and visits to administrative units. In the future, the centre will receive more land records for Bien Hoa City.

Not only perfecting management and operation, to provide best conditions for people and businesses, the province also pays attention to other factors such as traffic and postal services. The province adjusted four bus routes to pass the Public Administrative Centre to help people and businesses to move from the heart of Bien Hoa City, Long Khanh Town and other districts to the centre.

The Public Administrative Centre signed a cooperation agreement with Dong Nai Post to offer two-way administrative document delivering services. Accordingly, organisations and individuals can choose one of three specific services: Sending documents for settlement of administrative procedures; sending documents and receiving results of settlement of administrative procedures; and delivering documents at post offices or registered addresses of organisations and individuals.

Hoang Ngoc