A corner of Hạ Long City, Quảng Ninh Province. The province tops 2018’s Public Administration Reform (PAR) Index ranking for the second year in a row. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The northern coastal province of Quảng Ninh topped the Public Administration Reform (PAR) Index ranking for the second year in a row in 2018, according to a report of the Government’s administrative reform steering committee released yesterday.

The province scored 89.06 out of 100, outstripping the runners-up, Hà Nội (83.98 points) and Đồng Tháp (83.71).

The number locality in 2016, Đà Nẵng City, ranked fourth.

The report assesses administrative reforms in 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 18 ministries and sectors based on a set of criteria.

The average score among 63 localities was 76.92 per cent.

Twenty-nine localities scored more than 80 points and no localities scored fewer than 60.

The Mekong Delta province of Long An and northern Ninh Bình Province both recorded impressive improvements, entering the top 10 for the first time.

The south-central province of Phú Yên ranked last with 69.53.

The score gap between the best performer and the poorest has reduced to 19.53 scores, compared to 29.76 in 2017.

The best performer in the list of 18 ministries and ministry-level agencies was State Bank of Việt Nam at 90.57 scores.

The ministries of finance, justice, agriculture and rural development, industry and trade, foreign affairs, science and technology were among the bank's followers.

The Ministry of Transport scored the lowest with 75.13 points.

Satisfaction level

Some 82.99 per cent of surveyed people expressed satisfaction with administration services at State agencies, according to the Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS), also released yesterday.

The index assesses service quality based on five criteria: access to services, administrative procedures, civil servants, service outcomes and complaint settlement.

The satisfaction level in 2018 increased by 2 per cent compared to that of 2017.

Forty-two out of 63 localities scored higher.

Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình, also head of the Government’s administrative reform steering committee, acknowledged the efforts of ministries and sectors.

The ministries and sectors have taken measures to improve the business climate index, boost labour productivity and competitiveness to bring Việt Nam forward, he said.

He urged ministries and localities to review their performance and improve areas they scored low in as well as widely apply well-performing models.

The PAR Index and SIPAS Index must serve as a foundation for ministries and localities to improve public administrative service quality, he said.

The Deputy PM asked ministries and localities to continue to simplify administrative procedures and cut regulations which are hindering enterprises.

The Government’s consultation working group on administrative procedure reform should communicate with businesses, ministries and localities to understand their obstacles and take measures to address them.

Bình also called on agencies and localities to continue streamlining at State agencies and step up inspection and impose strict penalties on violations related to appointment of State officials, civil servants and public employees.

The ministries and localities need to focus on developing e-Government and online public services as well, he said. —VNS