Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the third session of the Government’s Steering Committee for Administrative Reform on February 3, stressing that administrative reform must centre on people and enterprises.

At the meeting, connected with 63 provinces and centrally-run cities via videoconference, participants reviewed the obtained results, pointed out shortcomings and difficulties, and proposed focal solutions and tasks for promoting the work.

The PM, who is also head of the steering committee, said administrative reform was identified by the Party and State as one of the targeted strategic breakthroughs.

It is meant to create favourable conditions for people and enterprises; reduce the time needed for civil servants and public employees to perform duties; help fight corruption and negative phenomena; cut down input costs and improve the competitiveness of goods and services; and create an open, transparent, and clean administrative environment, he noted.

Highlighting some key tasks for 2023 and beyond, he said 2023 is designated as the year of digital data, and the Government is aiming for a national data centre to be built, so all ministries, sectors, and localities must take actions to develop their own databases.

Administrative reform must be carried out strongly, constantly, and effectively in line with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, and put national interests above all, he said, asking ministries, sectors, and localities to step up administrative reform in tandem with innovation, digital transformation, and improvement of the business climate and the national competitiveness.