A customs officer at Chi Ma Border Gate, Lạng Sơn Province, assists a business owner with goods clearance procedures. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has instructed all ministries and localities to ensure that 100 per cent of administrative procedures related to enterprises are carried out online by the end of the year.

The move is part of an effort to streamline bureaucracy, cut costs and improve transparency for businesses across the nation.

In an official document issued on Thursday, the PM called on ministers, heads of agencies and chairpersons of People’s Committees in provinces and centrally run cities to accelerate the review and simplification of administrative procedures. All relevant data must be updated and made publicly available on the National Database on Administrative Procedures by June 10.

Under the directive, authorities are required to cut at least 30 per cent of the time it takes to process administrative procedures, reduce business compliance costs by 30 per cent and eliminate 30 per cent of unnecessary business conditions this year.

The PM also urged an end to unnecessary State intervention, particularly outdated practices like the 'ask-give mechanism' or the 'if you can't manage it, ban it' mindset.

He stressed that businesses must be free to operate in any field not explicitly banned by law.

Instead of excessive pre-approvals, authorities are being asked to shift towards post-inspection, while still maintaining strict supervision. Business licensing should be replaced with a model based on public disclosure and post-checks, except in areas where international norms require formal authorisation.

The PM also called for wider adoption of digital tools, including automation, artificial intelligence and big data, in handling procedures related to business registration and dissolution, land, planning, investment, construction, taxation, customs and insurance.

Ministries and local governments are expected to complete the implementation of 307 decentralised administrative procedures by June 30.

All internal administrative processes must also be reviewed and simplified in accordance with recent legal changes around decentralisation and organisational restructuring. These reforms are to be aligned with Việt Nam’s shift to a streamlined two-tier local government model.

Importantly, procedures must be made independent of intra-provincial administrative boundaries, meaning businesses should be able to access services regardless of where they are within a province.

The PM assigned full responsibility to heads of ministries, agencies and provincial administrations for meeting reform targets. They must report their progress to the Government on the 25th of each month, as part of a monthly administrative reform update. — VNS