The Vietnam Government's initial efforts to simplify 258 administrative procedures were "historical", Eurocham Vietnam chairman Alain Cany told a media conference in Ha Noi yesterday.
The efforts, acknowledged in June Resolution 25/ND-CP, were a landmark achievement and showed the Government's strong commitment to administrative reform, he said.
The simplification of numerous administrative procedures would benefit a wide variety of commerce.
It is expected to generate savings of US$294 million for businesses and citizens.
The resolution is part of Government's Administrative Procedures Reform Project or Project 30.
But international representatives at the conference warned that although the business community appreciated the resolution, they now expected proper oversight and supervision of its implementation.
Otherwise, the benefits would not be fully realised.
"We recommend that State agencies must fully implement the resolution, and the National Assembly monitor its progress and impact," said American Chamber of Commerce Vietnam representative Fred Burke.
Speakers at the briefing, which assessed the progress of Project 30 and the role of business, also emphasised the crucial role of businesses as well as citizens in the changes.
They were both the affected and the beneficiaries, said Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry representative and member of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedures Reforms Pham Gia Tuc.
The Council, which represents 15 members from associations, organisations and research institutions, puts the private sector's view about Project 30.
The Council reviewed and submitted recommendations for all administrative procedures that are the responsibility of Project 30's Special Task Force.
Its members include the European and American Chambers of Commerce, Vietnam, the International Finance Corporation, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association and the Vietnam Banking Association.
It is composed of 15 working groups, each of which responsible for a specific sector, including banking, tax, trade and customs, and education.
The Amcham representative acknowledged the preparedness of businesses, even the small to medium, in contributing comments and suggestions to the administrative reform process.
The involvement of 13 foreign and domestic organisations with the Advisory Council and the 15 working groups had attracted the participation of more than 300 individuals and companies and showed the interest and full commitment of the private sector, he said.
Businesses no longer did no more than complain but were able to identify procedures that needed improvement and suggest how it should be done.
Many members at EuroCham had committed significant time and resources to Project 30, said the EuroCham representative.
It had reviewed the administrative procedures in the pharmaceutical and the retail sectors.
The Project, now at the end of its Phase 2, is expected to attract more business participation for Phase 3 when more than 5,000 administrative procedures will be reviewed.
Project 30 is a national plan to substantially reduce the costs and risks of administrative procedures affecting businesses and citizens that will reduce regulatory costs and risks for all businesses via the simplification or abolition of procedures.
The Project is regarded as an effective measure to mitigate the effect of the global economic crisis and is one of the Government's eight priorities for 2010.
It was approved in 2007 and will end this October.
The Special Project 30 Task Force reports directly to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Source: VNS