Most Vietnamese people feel administrative reforms have improved public services but those relating to land and housing still lag behind, according a World Bank report released recently.

Seventy-five percent of 9,189 citizens surveyed said that the procedures for granting land ownership certificates was slower than other sectors, World Bank representative James Anderson quoted the “Vietnam Development Report 2010: Modern Institutions” as saying.

They also complained about slow procedures for granting licenses for house repair and construction, according to a conference held by the bank in cooperation with Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association, and the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Most of the difficulties facing them in land and housing procedures came from slow processing, their meager knowledge of procedures, and the attitude of the staff, the survey found.

Since it was launched in 1990s as part of the administrative reform process, the “one stop shops” have expanded considerably, with 84 percent of provincial agencies establishing these mechanisms by last October, according to the report.

“And by most accounts, the one stop shops are successful,” it said.

In the meantime, Project 30, the second initiative which aimed to streamline administrative procedures “is making real progress,” with the launch of an online national database of some 5,700 administrative procedures last October, it noted.

The report also hailed Vietnam for stronger devolution to local governments in terms of human resources management and public investment.

Efforts made to open the door for the private sector in a few services under the “socialization” model were also noticeable, it said.

On the other hand, the survey found that just 3 percent of the surveyed people said they were asked for inputs on legislations prepared for submissions to the National Assembly.

Most people said they were not asked for their opinions and that it did not bother them. They said they were only concerned about “local” issues.

Source: Tuoi Tre