Minister of Internal Affairs Tran Van Tuan told the conference that from 2001 to 2010, many administrative procedures have been screened and streamlined in many sensitive fields that directly affect people and corporations such as land, construction, population record, investment, customs and taxation.

There have also been many other modifications, Tuan said, including those regarding marriage registration, birth declaration, poverty certification, and issuing identity cards, passports, and business licenses.

So far, more than 5,500 administrative procedures have been reviewed; 453 were recommended for annulment, and 3,749 should be amended in favour of people and businesses.

However, many participants at the conference said the pace of reforms remained slow and not on track for the target of ‘building an administrative system that is democratic, transparent, strong, professional and modern by 2010’. They added that the institutional system is still asynchronous and has many overlaps.

According to the participants, a rational incentive policy should be formulated to develop the ranks of cadres and civil servants in charge of public administration reform at all levels. Dissemination of information about administration reforms should be also promoted, they said.

This is the first time the government has worked out a long-term strategy for institutional, administrative apparatus, human resources and public finance reforms.