An official helps a resident complete administrative procedures in Gia Lâm Commune, Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Phan Phương

HÀ NỘI — Administrative procedure reforms were carried out decisively under the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister during the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The reforms were identified as a key task to improve the investment and business environment, raise the quality of services for citizens and enterprises, and promote economic growth.

Implementation followed Resolutions 01/NQ-CP, 02/NQ-CP and 11/NQ-CP, focusing on restructuring processes in the digital environment, increasing the use of national data and moving towards handling procedures independent of administrative boundaries.

The Government Standing Committee instructed ministries and agencies to propose measures for decentralising and simplifying business regulations.

Under the committee's instructions, ministries should be responsible for no more than 30 per cent of the total administrative procedures in their management areas, placing more responsibilities at the local level. At the same time, they must cut processing time by 50 per cent and compliance costs by 50 per cent compared with 2024.

To improve the investment and business environment, the Government also aims to eliminate all business conditions that are not genuinely necessary.

Ministries, agencies and localities have thus stepped up efforts to cut and simplify administrative procedures and to complete and link databases to handle procedures for citizens and businesses.

In its Conclusion 18-KL/TW on decentralising administrative procedures, the Government promulgated 11 resolutions on reducing and simplifying these processes as well as business conditions. Ministries also issued documents within their authority to align with those resolutions.

Eight of the resolutions on reduction, decentralisation and simplification were drafted under the provisions of Clause 2, Article 14 of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, and three were issued under a special mechanism to address legal difficulties and obstacles as provided for in the National Assembly's Resolution 206/2025/QH15.

Ministries and ministerial-level agencies issued 16 circulars to reduce and simplify administrative procedures and business conditions.

As of June 13, the number of administrative procedures under ministerial authority was 1,595 out of 5,816 procedures – a reduction of 743 procedures, of which 362 were decentralised to localities and 381 abolished.

Some ministries have a low share of procedures handled at the ministerial level, such as the Ministry of Justice (16.1 per cent), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (22.7 per cent) and the Ministry of National Defence (23.8 per cent).

Two agencies have over 30 per cent of their procedures handled at the ministerial level: the State Bank of Vietnam (54.2 per cent) and the Government Inspectorate (33.3 per cent).

The total number of investment and business sectors and trades subject to conditions as listed in Appendix IV of the 2025 Investment Law is 198.

By May 20, more than 28 per cent had been cut. Compared with the 2020 Investment Law, sectors and trades subject to conditions under the 2025 law were reduced by 40 per cent in total.

The Government resolutions and ministerial circulars together had abolished 697 administrative procedures, simplified 673 procedures and cut 1,754 unnecessary business conditions by June 13.

As a result, the time required to process administrative procedures fell by 53 per cent, and compliance costs decreased by 54.6 per cent compared with 2024.

To ensure the stability and longevity of the reduction and simplification measures, the resolutions assigned ministries and agencies the responsibility of submitting proposals to relevant authorities or issuing measures that will take effect before March 1 next year.

Ministries and agencies have thus far carried out 405 out of 770 reduction and simplification measures.

By the end of May this year, localities had implemented simplification measures for 411 administrative procedures, including abolishing 86 processes, amending or supplementing 111 and retaining 214, contributing to improved efficiency of the State administrative apparatus as well as helping citizens and businesses. — VNS