In the 59 years since the liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954), thecity has taken on an entirely new look. With the motto "effective,active and creative", city authorities have led Hanoi to overcomechallenges, maintain the economic growth rate and ensure social welfare.Report by Nhan Dan Online newspaper.
Maintaining economic growth rate
Early this year, city leaders designated removing barriers toproduction and business activities as one of its key tasks in 2013,responding to the global economic crisis.
Amunicipal Steering Committee for resolving difficulties encountered byenterprises was established, holding extensive meetings with enterprisesto hear their problems and recommendations. Through such meetings, manyissues related to administrative procedures, taxes, banking loans,inventory and employment have been addressed thanks to actions taken bycity authorities.
Thanks to the joint efforts ofHanoi’s authorities and its business community, the city's economy grewby 7.88 percent, year on year, in the first nine months of 2013. Thatfigure is expected to rise to 8.1-8.2 percent for the entire year,meeting the annual target. Notably, the city's industrial productionindex has increased 4.4 percent compared to the same nine-month periodin 2012.
Various commodities recorded increasedexport revenue in the first three quarters, including apparel,electronics and components, handicrafts and footwear. The apparel sectorbrought in the largest export revenue with 895 million USD, a 14.3percent year-on-year increase. Hanoi’s aggregate foreign trade revenuewent up by 23 percent against the same period last year.
The city contributed nearly 80 trillion VND (3.76 billion USD) to theState budget in the first eight months of this year, representing 16.5percent of the nation's overall budget collection.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People's Committee Nguyen Van Suusaid that the figures resulted from considerable efforts made by thewhole city, which have been very important for the development ofenterprises, job creation, economic growth and State budget collection.
Tightening administrative discipline and improving competitiveness
Strengthening administrative reform with a focus on administrativeprocedure reform is one of two major tasks for socio-economicdevelopment in the 2010-2015 period laid out in the Resolution of the15th Congress of Hanoi's Party Committee.
However,the work completed until now has yet to pay off, as Hanoi’s provincialcompetitiveness index has declined constantly. In 2012, Hanoi ranked51st of the 63 provinces and cities in competitiveness, dropping 15places from 2011.
To solve the problem, the city’sleaders have launched programmes to improve its competitiveness with thereform of administrative procedures considered as the key toeliminating red tape and inconveniences.
Such measureshave created positive changes on the local level. Nearly alldepartments, sectors and districts have reviewed their working rules,promoted empowerment, implemented the ‘one-stop shop’ mechanism andenhanced the application of information technology in handlingadministrative procedures.
Some departments havecome up with innovative and effective solutions. The Department ofJustice, for example, has worked with the Municipal Police and theDepartment of Health to streamline administrative procedures so that anew-born baby can be granted a household registration and a healthinsurance card immediately. The Department of Internal Affairs ispiloting the "one-stop shop" model at some State-owned enterprises andco-ordinating with other departments to reduce overlappingadministrative procedures. Hai Ba Trung and Long Bien districts havebeen pioneers in reducing the number of meetings and enhancing theaccountability of their leaders. The Department of Finance and Long Biendistrict have also been using CCTV cameras to monitor the attitude ofcivil servants towards the people.
In order toincrease transparency in land use, the city government has ordereddepartments and local authorities to accelerate and publicise allinformation on land use planning in the 2011-2015 period. The citygovernment has also scrapped some administrative procedures related toland and expedited the issuance of land use certificates. In addition,the city government has begun conducting frequent inspections to uncoverand punish those who cause trouble for people and enterprises.
Although red tape has not been completely eliminated, the initialimprovement in the awareness and responsibility of civil servants andofficials is unmistakable. The most notable progress is that civilservants have now developed a greater awareness of their responsibilitytowards businesses and the people and.
Focusing resources on key infrastructure projects
2013 is the critical year in implementing the resolution of the 15thMunicipal Party Congress, and departments and local authorities havebeen required to accelerate the construction of crucial infrastructureprojects. However, it is worrying that 37 out of 55 key projects arebehind schedule, according to the Department of Planning and Investment.The delay of these projects has been caused chiefly by lack of capital,bottlenecks in land clearance and weak management.
In order to tackle the shortage of capital, the city has issued bonds toraise 2 trillion VND (94 million USD) for five transport infrastructureprojects, two hospitals and a water drainage project. The obstacles toland clearance have also been removed when the city has devised specialmechanisms to pay appropriate compensation, support resettlement andincrease dialogue with relocated households.
Aftertwo months of aggressive action, the hindrance to land clearance hasbasically been eliminated. Clear space is now available for theconstruction of Ring Road No.1, which is scheduled for completion by theend of the year. Work has also started on the Nga Tu So - Nga Tu Vongsection of Ring Road No.2. The land clearance phases of some otherprojects, such as the new National Highway 3 and the road linking theNhat Tan bridge and Noi Bai International Airport, are also nearingcompletion.
59 years after its liberation, Hanoi hastransformed from a small and underdeveloped city into a largemetropolis, especially since its administrative boundaries were expandedin 2008. Compared with 1954, the area of Hanoi has increased 18-fold,and its population is also 17 times larger. Despite a bumpy road ahead,it is believed that the Party committee and people of Hanoi willovercome all difficulties and challenges to make steady progress on thepath to a wealthy, beautiful, civilised and modern capital city, worthyof the expectations and love of people around the nation.-VNA
Maintaining economic growth rate
Early this year, city leaders designated removing barriers toproduction and business activities as one of its key tasks in 2013,responding to the global economic crisis.
Amunicipal Steering Committee for resolving difficulties encountered byenterprises was established, holding extensive meetings with enterprisesto hear their problems and recommendations. Through such meetings, manyissues related to administrative procedures, taxes, banking loans,inventory and employment have been addressed thanks to actions taken bycity authorities.
Thanks to the joint efforts ofHanoi’s authorities and its business community, the city's economy grewby 7.88 percent, year on year, in the first nine months of 2013. Thatfigure is expected to rise to 8.1-8.2 percent for the entire year,meeting the annual target. Notably, the city's industrial productionindex has increased 4.4 percent compared to the same nine-month periodin 2012.
Various commodities recorded increasedexport revenue in the first three quarters, including apparel,electronics and components, handicrafts and footwear. The apparel sectorbrought in the largest export revenue with 895 million USD, a 14.3percent year-on-year increase. Hanoi’s aggregate foreign trade revenuewent up by 23 percent against the same period last year.
The city contributed nearly 80 trillion VND (3.76 billion USD) to theState budget in the first eight months of this year, representing 16.5percent of the nation's overall budget collection.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People's Committee Nguyen Van Suusaid that the figures resulted from considerable efforts made by thewhole city, which have been very important for the development ofenterprises, job creation, economic growth and State budget collection.
Tightening administrative discipline and improving competitiveness
Strengthening administrative reform with a focus on administrativeprocedure reform is one of two major tasks for socio-economicdevelopment in the 2010-2015 period laid out in the Resolution of the15th Congress of Hanoi's Party Committee.
However,the work completed until now has yet to pay off, as Hanoi’s provincialcompetitiveness index has declined constantly. In 2012, Hanoi ranked51st of the 63 provinces and cities in competitiveness, dropping 15places from 2011.
To solve the problem, the city’sleaders have launched programmes to improve its competitiveness with thereform of administrative procedures considered as the key toeliminating red tape and inconveniences.
Such measureshave created positive changes on the local level. Nearly alldepartments, sectors and districts have reviewed their working rules,promoted empowerment, implemented the ‘one-stop shop’ mechanism andenhanced the application of information technology in handlingadministrative procedures.
Some departments havecome up with innovative and effective solutions. The Department ofJustice, for example, has worked with the Municipal Police and theDepartment of Health to streamline administrative procedures so that anew-born baby can be granted a household registration and a healthinsurance card immediately. The Department of Internal Affairs ispiloting the "one-stop shop" model at some State-owned enterprises andco-ordinating with other departments to reduce overlappingadministrative procedures. Hai Ba Trung and Long Bien districts havebeen pioneers in reducing the number of meetings and enhancing theaccountability of their leaders. The Department of Finance and Long Biendistrict have also been using CCTV cameras to monitor the attitude ofcivil servants towards the people.
In order toincrease transparency in land use, the city government has ordereddepartments and local authorities to accelerate and publicise allinformation on land use planning in the 2011-2015 period. The citygovernment has also scrapped some administrative procedures related toland and expedited the issuance of land use certificates. In addition,the city government has begun conducting frequent inspections to uncoverand punish those who cause trouble for people and enterprises.
Although red tape has not been completely eliminated, the initialimprovement in the awareness and responsibility of civil servants andofficials is unmistakable. The most notable progress is that civilservants have now developed a greater awareness of their responsibilitytowards businesses and the people and.
Focusing resources on key infrastructure projects
2013 is the critical year in implementing the resolution of the 15thMunicipal Party Congress, and departments and local authorities havebeen required to accelerate the construction of crucial infrastructureprojects. However, it is worrying that 37 out of 55 key projects arebehind schedule, according to the Department of Planning and Investment.The delay of these projects has been caused chiefly by lack of capital,bottlenecks in land clearance and weak management.
In order to tackle the shortage of capital, the city has issued bonds toraise 2 trillion VND (94 million USD) for five transport infrastructureprojects, two hospitals and a water drainage project. The obstacles toland clearance have also been removed when the city has devised specialmechanisms to pay appropriate compensation, support resettlement andincrease dialogue with relocated households.
Aftertwo months of aggressive action, the hindrance to land clearance hasbasically been eliminated. Clear space is now available for theconstruction of Ring Road No.1, which is scheduled for completion by theend of the year. Work has also started on the Nga Tu So - Nga Tu Vongsection of Ring Road No.2. The land clearance phases of some otherprojects, such as the new National Highway 3 and the road linking theNhat Tan bridge and Noi Bai International Airport, are also nearingcompletion.
59 years after its liberation, Hanoi hastransformed from a small and underdeveloped city into a largemetropolis, especially since its administrative boundaries were expandedin 2008. Compared with 1954, the area of Hanoi has increased 18-fold,and its population is also 17 times larger. Despite a bumpy road ahead,it is believed that the Party committee and people of Hanoi willovercome all difficulties and challenges to make steady progress on thepath to a wealthy, beautiful, civilised and modern capital city, worthyof the expectations and love of people around the nation.-VNA
