Thanh Hoa: 5 years of a journey of aspiration (Part 4): Removing "knots" to pave the way for development

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Recognizing the shortcomings and inadequacies in handling administrative procedures, Thanh Hoa has made breakthroughs in removing them. The past term recorded the frankness in implementing the removal of "bottlenecks", paving the way for investment attraction and development in many fields.

Quang Phu Ward Public Administration Service Center handles investment procedures for business representatives.

Going back nearly ten years, the administrative procedures in many units were still cumbersome, too many procedures, even overlapping tasks between departments and branches, which were "barriers" to development. Enterprises and people even encountered difficulties and waited too long because of the mechanisms and regulations that were somewhat outdated compared to reality. That was the reality that affected investment attraction and stagnated in all stages of socio -economic development of the province.

Remember the time the provincial People's Committee leaders met with businesses at the 25B Conference Center at the end of the previous term, representatives of some businesses reported that they had to continuously meet inspection teams from many departments and branches in an overlapping manner, taking too much time, affecting production and business. Representatives of the Thanh Hoa Textile and Garment Association also reported that someone from the Environmental Protection Department, under the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (old), texted to "extort" money from a business located in Nga Son district (old) to ignore the implementation of environmental procedures that were not guaranteed. The provincial leaders at that time requested provincial-level units to strictly limit inspections when there were no signs of violations to create conditions for businesses to produce and do business. With the reflection of being "extorted" for money, the provincial People's Committee leaders requested the Department of Home Affairs and related units to investigate and request strict handling if there were any violations. As a result, there was a text message from a member of the working group of the Department of Environmental Protection asking the business to pay a "gift" of 6 million VND, after which a deputy head of the department, who was the head of the inspection team, and the driver were handled according to regulations.

This may be just one of many "exposed" cases in which businesses and people have been made difficult in the process of implementing administrative procedures. Provincial leaders have looked directly at the existence and weaknesses to resolutely eliminate "bottlenecks" for development. That has become a favorable premise in the province's reform breakthrough process in the 2020-2025 term. At many conferences at the Provincial People's Committee and working sessions with businesses and related units in the first years of the term, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Thi harshly pointed out and criticized the shortcomings in implementing procedures for projects, businesses and people, requiring departments, branches, localities and related units to minimize the processing time, create favorable conditions, and prohibit the act of taking advantage of positions to cause difficulties and gain benefits. The effective operation of the Provincial Public Administration Service Center on the basis of integrating the procedures of many provincial departments, branches and units into one focal point is also considered the "key" for Thanh Hoa to simplify many procedures for businesses and people.

After the Provincial Party Executive Committee issued Action Plan No. 22-KH/TU on July 23, 2021, up to now, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee have issued more than 180 documents to direct and operate administrative reform (AR), improving the investment and business environment. In particular, focusing on key tasks such as perfecting institutions; reviewing, arranging, and streamlining the organizational apparatus; amending, supplementing or issuing new mechanisms and policies on support, incentives, and investment attraction. At the same time, focusing on promoting administrative procedure reform towards publicity, transparency, shortening processing time; tightening administrative discipline and order; promoting decentralization in all fields; promoting the use of online public services; actively completing digital transformation goals...

For nearly 5 years, the Provincial People's Committee has directed branches and units to review and minimize the time to process administrative procedures and costs for businesses. Accordingly, the time to process investment approval procedures and investment policy adjustments under the authority of the Provincial People's Committee has been reduced to 26 working days (a 30% reduction); and the issuance of business registration certificates has been reduced to only 3 days. Procedures for first-time land use right registration have been reduced to only 14 days (a 30% reduction); land allocation and lease have been reduced to 12 days (a 40% reduction); land use purpose conversion has been reduced to 12 days (a 20% reduction); planning permit issuance has been reduced to 22 days (a 51% reduction); and construction permit issuance has been reduced to 15 days (a 50% reduction). In particular, the time to check customs dossiers for imported and exported goods has been reduced to only 2 hours; the time to check the actual goods is 8 working hours. The time to process social insurance regimes in the province has been reduced from 41 procedures (in 2020) to 15 procedures; the time to process short-term social insurance regime applications (sickness, maternity...) has been reduced to 6 days (a 60% reduction); the time to issue permits for foreign workers has been reduced to 5 working days (a 28.6% reduction). The time to complete tax procedures has been reduced by 114 hours (from 498 hours to 384 hours), and the time to issue tax codes has been reduced to 24 hours (a 70% reduction for taxpayers who register for tax under the "one-stop" mechanism)...

Simplifying administrative procedures and removing inherent obstacles has created favorable conditions for organizations and individuals in many fields. In the field of investment attraction alone, from January 2021 to August 2025, the whole province has attracted 461 direct investment projects; including 394 domestic investment projects, with a total registered investment capital of VND 73,979 billion and 67 foreign direct investment projects, with a total registered investment capital of nearly USD 1.32 billion. Among them, there are many large-scale projects in many investment fields such as industry, agriculture , industrial park infrastructure, industrial clusters, services, and power supply infrastructure, positively impacting the socio-economic development of the province.

Simplifying administrative procedures plays an important role in promoting investment attraction. (In photo: Construction of BILLION UNION Vietnam Fabric Factory in Nghi Son Economic Zone).

During the term, relevant agencies have organized inspections at 226 agencies, units and localities, promptly overcoming limitations, shortcomings and problems to propose radical administrative reform solutions. Since then, many units and localities have had good models, initiatives and practices such as: Announcing the results of handling administrative procedures on smart devices, social networks, SMS messages; reducing 30% of fees and charges for organizations and individuals using online public services; replicating the model "Friendly Government, serving the People"; the model "3 nos in digital transformation"; applying the model "No appointment, no writing", "Administrative reception", "9th working hour"... Thereby, creating a spreading effect in State administrative agencies, receiving the approval and support of the business community, organizations and people.

According to the latest report from the Provincial Party Committee, from 2021 to July 2025, all sectors and levels have advised the Provincial People's Committee Chairman to issue 553 decisions announcing a list of 6,808 administrative procedures. Every year, the province includes in its plan a review and reduction of at least 20% of administrative procedure compliance costs, focusing on key areas such as land, construction, agriculture, internal affairs, transportation, health, education and training... From 2021 to now, there have been recommendations to amend and supplement 63 procedures and recommendations to abolish 3 procedures that are no longer appropriate. The cost savings after simplifying administrative procedures reached more than 50 billion VND per year. In 2025 alone, the whole province has implemented a review and simplification of 20 administrative procedures.

In the action plan to implement the breakthrough in "Administrative reform, creating an open and attractive investment environment", Thanh Hoa set a target of being in the top 10 nationwide in terms of PAPI, PAR INDER, SIPAS, PCI indexes by 2025. Up to now, some indicators have made breakthroughs compared to the beginning of the term. The story of a business having to go to many departments, branches, and agencies to request all kinds of documents, and then having to wait a month for each step to complete the investment procedures is no longer. Organizations and individuals are facilitated in handling administrative procedures at all levels of government, in almost all administrative fields. Thanh Hoa's administrative reform has been aiming at the goal of taking people and businesses as the center of service, as well as contributing to improving the province's investment and business environment.

Article and photos: Le Dong

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Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thanh-hoa-5-nam-mot-hanh-trinh-khat-vong-bai-4-go-nut-that-mo-duong-phat-trien-260806.htm