For Transparency of Investment and Business Environment

In 2021, the Informal Charge Index of Ca Mau province was 7.09 points, one point higher than 2020. This result partly came from the reform, quality and progress of inspections and examinations and serious conclusions of inspections. Our reporter has an exchange with Mr. Nguyen Minh Phung, Chief Inspector of Ca Mau, on this work.

What do you think about the inspectional innovation and development of Ca Mau province in terms of organizational structure and personnel quality? What are your biggest concerns for the time to come?

As of July 2022, our personnel was 200. The current organizational structure and personnel quality of the Inspectorate of Ca Mau basically meet working requirements. Our apparatus has been increasingly streamlined to work more effectively and efficiently, and the quality of human resources has also been gradually improved.

Besides, in the past time, our operations have exposed certain shortcomings. And, our biggest concerns in the coming time are:

Inspections uncover and handle violations. However, the purpose of inspections is not only to detect and handle defects and violations but, most importantly, to consider and assess the implementation of Party guidelines and State policies to scale up positive factors and, at the same time, propose supplementing, amending and replacing policy loopholes and shortcomings for more effective and efficient operation of governmental agencies.

State management of complaints and denunciations is still limited. Some leaders of governmental agencies do not directly receive citizens according to regulations. The settlement of administrative records is overlapped, erroneous and slower than scheduled. Corruption resistance is still ineffective. The discovery of corrupt acts is weak and the number of uncovered corruption cases is small.

In the coming time, we will focus on building a team of clean, strong, conscientious, visionary, and capable inspectors. We will align inspector construction with inspectorate cultural construction to build a cultured image of inspectors.

The Provincial Inspectorate has many solutions to minimize inspections and cross checks in businesses

What solutions have you recently taken to improve inspectional quality and limit overlapping inspections to help build an open business environment?

From 2017 to date, the Government has delivered directive documents on inspection and examination, most recently Directive 11/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister dated March 4, 2020 on urgent tasks and solutions to remove difficulties in production and business, ensure social security, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; Resolution 84/NQ-CP of the Government dated May 29, 2020 on tasks and solutions for continued removal of difficulties in production and business, accelerated disbursement of the public investment fund; and Directive 20 /CT-TTg of the Prime Minister dated May 17, 2017 on rectification of inspection and examination at enterprises.

The Inspectorate of Ca Mau proposed and applied workable measures to local situations in order to minimize the above shortcomings like building a coordination mechanism among authorities in planning inspection and examination at enterprises in Ca Mau province and developing inspection plan management software. In addition, we recommended the inspection sector to develop a coordination regulation for inspectorates between ministries with the State Audit, and clearly specify industry and authority in business inspections to ensure uniformity at work in the province.

As a result, when applying the above solutions, the Inspectorate of Ca Mau reduced and coordinated in carrying out 40 overlapping inspections and diminished 199 inspections according to the Governmental Resolution 84/NQ-CP.

Would you tell us some solutions taken to improve the Informal Charge Index and raise the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of Ca Mau province?

The informal charge is always a special concern of businesses when considering investment locations. Therefore, to raise the PCI in recent years, the province has paid due attention to improving the Informal Charge Index.

The Inspectorate of Ca Mau is assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to work on 11 indicators in the subindices of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI). With the determination and effort of the whole sector, in 2021, the Informal Charge Index scored 7.09 points, an increase of 1.00 points over 2020.

To achieve a better outcome, we will continue to implement consistent solutions to raise the Informal Charge Index as follows.

First, working with relevant agencies, making annual inspection plans, with enhanced inspection and supervision of official duties performed by public employees in order to promptly unearth, handle and effectively prevent "petty corruption", bureaucratic harassment and trouble of some public employees against enterprises.

Second, reviewing, revising and reducing overlapped and unnecessary inspections for enterprises; not carrying out unplanned inspections (including administrative inspection and specialized inspection) unless there are signs of violation.

Third, strengthening inspection into leader accountability in enforcement of the law on inspection, citizen reception, settlement of complaints and denunciations, and corruption resistance; focusing on inspecting contents of information publicity and transparency with respect to natural resources and land such as master plans and detailed plans on land use, land allocation and land lease; compensation recovery and resettlement support.

Fourth, building information channels to detect and receive feedback from enterprises on denouncing corrupt acts and perform strict inspections to control and prevent acts of harassment and troublemaking in a timely manner for enterprises; promulgating regulations on management and use of communication hotlines to receive information on recommendations of organizations and individuals on settlement of administrative procedures within its jurisdiction.

Fifth, thoroughly informing all of our staff to strictly observe discipline, public service ethics and code of conduct.

Sixth, organizing, reforming and improving the quality and effectiveness of business-inspector dialogues; diversifying forms of dialogue; actively absorbing and quickly grasping difficulties faced by enterprises and investors to have timely support solutions.

We publicize hotline telephone numbers and email addresses to receive feedback, and recommendations from individuals, organizations and enterprises; and strictly handle acts of harassment committed by public employees in the performance of their official duties.

We always welcome businesses to invest and do business in the local strong, fair, friendly investment environment with an open mechanism; and always facilitate enterprises to achieve sustainable development under the working principle “Supporting and sharing” with enterprises.

Thank you very much!

Source: Vietnam Business Forum