Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chairs a Government review of the new local government model on Saturday. —VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has signed an urgent dispatch requiring stronger measures to reduce and simplify administrative procedures and business conditions, while ensuring smoother rollout of the two-tier local governance model.

The move follows the Government’s Resolution No 66/NQ-CP, issued on March 26, which set out a programme to cut red tape for businesses in 2025 and 2026.

So far, 10 ministries and agencies have submitted streamlining plans, with the PM approving proposals to simplify 1,315 administrative procedures and cut 872 business conditions under the oversight of four ministries. Three other ministries are awaiting approval, while another three are still finalising their submissions.

The Government aims to scrap 488 procedures and simplify another 2,675 this year, equivalent to 74.9 per cent of all procedures tied to production and business activities. In addition, 2,028 out of 7,806 business conditions are expected to be removed, or 26 per cent of the total.

Local authorities have been upgrading their systems to support administrative restructuring and two-tier local governance model. Between July 1 and August 23, 2025, 34 provinces and cities processed 6.5 million administrative cases, including 4.8 million at the commune level, a 25 per cent increase from the same period last year.

Progress, however, remains uneven. The ministries of health and home affairs have yet to submit their streamlining plans as mandated by the Resolution No 66. Meanwhile, the ministries of industry and trade and health are on track to miss the target of cutting at least 30 per cent of business conditions.

To keep reforms on track, the PM instructed ministers, heads of ministry-level agencies, chairpersons of people’s committees of cities and provinces to act immediately. The urgent dispatch, issued earlier on August 4, must be fully followed, alongside the new requirements.

The ministers of health and home affairs must complete and submit their streamlining proposals no later than August 31, 2025. The ministers of science and technology, foreign affairs, and Governor of the State Bank of Việt Nam were urged to finalise and file their documentation by the same deadline.

The industry and trade minister was ordered to continue reviewing and proactively cutting business conditions, either through ministry-issued legal documents or by seeking the PM’s approval, to meet the 30 per cent reduction target this year.

Chairpersons of people’s committees of cities and provinces must review and refine policies and procedures under their jurisdiction and meet all assigned deadlines.

Additional tasks were assigned to relevant units, with progress reports due to the Government and PM by the 25th of each month. — VNA/VNS