More government offices to open on Saturdays

The Prime Minister has instructed more government offices in the central region to stay open on Saturdays beginning April 1 in a bid to expedite administrative procedures for both residents and businesses.

Under the decision by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, ministers, heads of ministry-level agencies, heads of governmental departments, and provincial and municipal authorities in the central region would select a list of offices that need to stay open on Saturdays.

These agencies will also decide what administrative procedures will be processed on Saturdays and also decide whether the offices will be open for full days or half-days, according to demand and facilities.

The decision will not apply to public holidays.

Office staff who work on Saturdays can take a weekday off as long as they work 40 hours a week, according to the decision.

Vietnamese state offices that deal with administrative procedures like notarization, business registration and visa granting began working on Saturdays in 2007.