HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng chaired a meeting on reducing and simplifying administrative procedures and business conditions with the Ministries of Science and Technology; Agriculture and Environment; and Ethnic and Religious Affairs on April 17.

The meeting aimed to assess the situation and results of cutting, decentralising, and simplifying administrative procedures, as well as reducing business conditions and business lines subject to conditions across the three ministries from early last year to present. 

It also focused on implementing tasks to cut 50 per cent of administrative processing time and 50 per cent of compliance costs compared to 2024, while striving to further reduce at least 30 per cent of conditional business lines and eliminate 100 per cent of unnecessary business conditions.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment currently manages many administrative procedures directly affecting citizens and businesses. 

Reporting at the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp said the Ministry oversaw 638 administrative procedures. After implementing all proposed measures, the Ministry expected to reduce processing time by 51.77 per cent and compliance costs by 53.34 per cent, both exceeding the Government’s 50 per cent targets.

For the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang noted that the Ministry currently had 58 administrative procedures. 

Following the Prime Minister’s conclusion earlier that day, the Ministry would coordinate with relevant agencies to cut three more procedures, bringing the total down to 55. He affirmed continued efforts to review and simplify procedures, promote data reuse, and ensure a 50 per cent reduction in both processing time and compliance costs.

Regarding the Ministry of Science and Technology, Deputy Minister Phạm Đức Long said that after reviewing and removing unnecessary procedures, 423 administrative procedures remained. 

Of these, 157 fall under ministerial authority after decentralisation, bringing the Ministry close to meeting Government requirements, according to Long. Further reviews will be conducted to maximise decentralisation to local authorities where feasible. For the target of reducing processing time by 50 per cent, the Ministry expects to cut over 9,100 days (52.25 per cent) this year, exceeding the target.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng commended the three ministries for their efforts in reducing and simplifying administrative procedures, business conditions, and conditional business lines.

During implementation, ministries were instructed to conduct thorough reviews ensuring transparency, stressing that “cuts must not simply be shifted elsewhere.” 

Decentralisation must also involve consultation with local authorities to avoid impractical implementation.

The Deputy Prime Minister further directed ministries to urgently coordinate with the Ministries of Justice, Public Security, and Finance to finalise results on reductions and simplifications, and clearly define remaining targets. — VNS