Getting in tune with building two-level local government

After more than 1 month of operating the 2-level local government model, despite the large workload and arising difficulties, communes, wards and special zones in the province have kept pace, proactively overcome difficulties, and completed initial tasks well.

Comrade Nguyen Van Sach - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Department surveyed the implementation of the two-level local government model in Hoi An commune. Photo: THUY TIEN

A smooth start

In some localities, the working headquarters have been repaired, arranged relatively reasonably, divided into separate areas to basically meet the immediate work requirements. Existing working equipment has been reviewed and transferred internally flexibly, basically meeting the needs of the work relatively fully. The work of processing documents continues to ensure the correct procedures and processing time, avoiding backlogs or delays, contributing to maintaining stability in public administrative activities.

With more than 250,000 people, the largest in the country today, Rach Gia ward is the clearest test for the effectiveness of the two-level local government operation. According to comrade Mai Hoang Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Secretary of the Rach Gia Ward Party Committee, the Ward Public Administration Service Center connects directly with residential groups and self-governing groups via the Zalo system and management software. People only need to report, the ward will have staff to receive and process within the day. In the first month, Rach Gia ward received and processed more than 2,800 administrative records of all kinds, of which 97% of records were processed on time, many procedures were shortened by 30%.

People are the most obvious beneficiaries of the reorganization of commune-level government. Administrative procedures are strongly digitized, reducing travel and saving costs. "My commune has merged, but the old commune officials are still on duty, enthusiastically guiding people through administrative procedures. I have never felt as close to the government as I do now," said Mr. Huynh Van Tinh, a resident of Vinh Hoa commune.

Not only providing better service, the new government also creates a more flexible mechanism in receiving and processing social security policies, supporting local socio -economic development. The U Minh Thuong Social Policy Bank Transaction Office continues to maintain a full system of transaction points in the communes, without changing locations. At the same time, it maintains a network of savings and loan groups so that people can go to familiar locations to conduct transactions.

“Currently, the Transaction Office manages 208 savings and loan groups in 57 hamlets in the two communes of U Minh Thuong and Vinh Hoa. Up to now, the total outstanding debt has reached over 536 billion VND, with 16 preferential credit programs being implemented, for nearly 10,738 borrowers. Policy credit capital is invested in 100% of hamlets, creating conditions for the poor and policy beneficiaries to access credit capital quickly, promptly and conveniently” - Ms. Nguyen Thi My Tien, Deputy Director of the Transaction Office of U Minh Thuong Social Policy Bank informed.

Focus on removing difficulties

In addition to the initial advantages, the operation of the two-level local government still has difficulties that need to be resolved. These are some regulations and guidelines issued by the Central Government but not specific. Some officials and civil servants are still confused in handling work due to changes in the digital transformation working environment and tasks arising after the merger...

According to comrade Nguyen Xuan Thinh - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An commune, the locality is lacking specialized personnel in some fields. Along with that, the commune is still limited in infrastructure, equipment, and machinery that do not meet the needs of handling administrative procedures. Hoi An commune recommends that the province soon have a policy to complete the facilities, have a centralized administrative area; add staff in the fields that are lacking; upgrade the server system, avoid the situation of losing the shared connection system. At the same time, there should be a policy to provide additional support for staff working in the commune.

Similarly, in Vinh Hoa commune, a number of cadres, civil servants and people are still confused and have not fully adapted to the new working environment. The resolution of policies and regimes for redundant cadres and civil servants is still a challenge. “The facilities and equipment needed to serve the application of information technology in management, operation and settlement of administrative procedures according to the new model are not yet guaranteed. The archives of the old communes are mostly stored and digitized not in accordance with the Law on Archives; the new archivists have not been trained and fostered, so editing and arranging are facing many difficulties. We propose that the provincial branches and units need to have a direction to support the locality to operate well in the coming time” - Comrade Lai An Nhan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Hoa commune suggested.

To overcome the shortcomings and ensure the effective operation of the two-level local government, the province needs to continue to review, arrange, and perfect the organizational structure, regulate the functions, tasks, and powers of specialized agencies under the provincial and commune-level People's Committees to ensure regulations; review the overall situation of the arrangement of cadres, civil servants, and public employees, gradually balancing surplus areas to shortage areas; promptly train and foster cadres and civil servants to improve their professional qualifications and skills. At the same time, continue to guide and implement regimes and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers, and non-professional workers to ensure the correct subjects, rights, and interests of them. Arrange headquarters, facilities, and information technology infrastructure to ensure working conditions for agencies and units after the arrangement...

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Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bat-nhip-xay-dung-chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-2-cap-a425833.html