(Chinhphu.vn) – Hai Phong ranked first in the 2024 Provincial Administrative Reform Index with a score of 96.17%, 4.3% higher and one place higher than in 2023. This was the second time Hai Phong had led the country in the Administrative Reform Index, the previous time being in 2021.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra announces the results and ranking of the 2024 Administrative Reform Index for the People’s Committees of centrally governed provinces and cities.
On 6/4, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the Government’s regular meeting for March 2025. The meeting was held in person at the Government Office and connected online with locations at the offices of the People’s Committees of centrally governed provinces and cities.
At the meeting, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra reported and announced the results and rankings of the 2024 Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services and the 2024 Administrative Reform Index of the People’s Committees of centrally governed provinces and cities.
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that 2024 was the 13th year in which the Ministry of Home Affairs had assessed and determined the Administrative Reform Index for provinces. The Ministry of Home Affairs had approved a new set of assessment criteria to amend, supplement and update the criteria and assessment methods in line with reality and help ministries, sectors and localities successfully achieve the administrative reform objectives and tasks assigned by the Government in Resolution No. 76/NQ-CP.
Accordingly, the provincial Administrative Reform Index covers 8 assessment areas, 38 criteria and 88 component criteria; the total score is 100 points, including 68 points for administrative reform results and the implementation of socio-economic development targets, and 32 points for the impact of administrative reform measured through sociological surveys.
To determine the 2024 Administrative Reform Index, the Ministry of Home Affairs surveyed more than 85,600 questionnaires, including 36,525 questionnaires from residents to measure satisfaction and 49,159 electronic questionnaires for officials, civil servants and management leaders at ministries, localities, associations and federations.
All 63/63 localities scored above 80% on the Administrative Reform Index
The results showed that the 2024 Administrative Reform Index of provinces and cities continued to grow positively, reaching the highest average value ever recorded at 88.37%, 1.39% higher than in 2023. This was also the second consecutive year in which all 63/63 localities scored above 80% on the Administrative Reform Index.
Statistics showed that 53/63 localities recorded an increase in the Administrative Reform Index compared with 2023. Binh Thuan recorded the largest increase (+6.39%), while Lai Chau recorded the smallest (+0.19%). However, the index declined in 9 localities, although the decreases were insignificant: the largest decrease was 2.94% and the smallest was 0.21%.
According to the assessment, Hai Phong ranked first in the 2024 Administrative Reform Index with a score of 96.17%, 4.3% higher and one place higher than in 2023. This was the second time Hai Phong had led the country in the Administrative Reform Index, the previous time being in 2021. Over the 13-year history of the assessment, Hai Phong had remained among the country’s top 5 localities for 12 consecutive years, including 7 years in second place out of 63.
Strong administrative reform efforts have enabled Hai Phong to achieve outstanding results during the renewal period. In 2024, Hai Phong became the first and only locality in the country to achieve double-digit growth for 10 consecutive years; foreign direct investment (FDI) reached USD 4.7 billion, 2.35 times the plan.
Ba Ria–Vung Tau ranked second out of 63 with a score of 93.35%, moving up 3 places compared with 2023. Administrative reform in Ba Ria–Vung Tau has consistently received close, decisive and innovative direction from the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee. In 2024, residents’ satisfaction with the quality of public services in the province was among the highest, reaching 90.09%. The province was also a pioneer in implementing a policy providing 100% tuition-free education for general school students, which has since been expanded nationwide. Its 2024 GRDP growth reached 11.72%, the highest in the past 10 years; FDI attraction exceeded USD 2 billion, more than twice the 2023 figure.
Several other localities also made outstanding progress and achieved very positive results in administrative reform: Ha Noi ranked 3rd out of 63 with 92.75%; Quang Ninh ranked 4th with 91.49%; and Thai Nguyen ranked 5th with 91.47%.
Cao Bang ranked last in the 2024 Administrative Reform Index with 82.95%. Even so, this result was 1.63% higher than that of the locality ranked last in 2023, An Giang, which scored only 81.32% in 2023.
The assessment showed that Cao Bang made significant progress in administrative reform in 2024, with its Administrative Reform Index increasing by 0.98% compared with 2023. However, the implementation of several reform areas remained limited and did not meet requirements, including slow handling of unlawful documents identified or recommended by competent authorities; slow synchronization and publication of administrative procedure dossiers on the National Public Service Portal; inadequate administrative discipline in some places; delays in issuing documents on public asset management; and low effectiveness in providing online public services and digitizing documents and dossiers.
Other localities with relatively low 2024 Administrative Reform Index results included Bac Kan at 84.23%, ranked 60th out of 63; Gia Lai at 84.01%, ranked 61st; and Lam Dong at 83.11%, ranked 62nd.
Administrative reform shows clear progress
A comparison of the 8 component indices showed that 6/8 component indices increased in 2024. The largest increase was in the component index measuring the impact of administrative reform on residents and local socio-economic development (+3.79%).
A comparison of the Administrative Reform Index among the 6 socio-economic regions showed that all 6/6 regions had an average index above 80% in 2024 and all grew faster than in 2023. The highest average was recorded in the Red River Delta at 90.17%, 1.85% higher than in 2023 (88.32%), followed by the Southeast at 89.44%, 1.99% higher than in 2023 (87.45%). The Southeast was also the economic region with the highest growth in the average Administrative Reform Index compared with the other regions.
The North Central and Central Coastal region ranked 3rd at 88.51%, 1.58% higher than in 2023 (87.72%). The Northern midlands and mountainous region ranked 4th at 88.2%, 0.48% higher than in 2023 (87.72%). The Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands ranked 5th and 6th, with 87.37% and 85.63%, respectively.
The Minister of Home Affairs assessed that in 2024 localities made significant efforts to direct and comprehensively and effectively implement administrative reform. The assessment results for many criteria showed clear progress compared with 2023, while methods of directing and managing administrative reform featured many creative and positive innovations.
Administrative reform direction and management activities have increasingly improved in terms of thinking, action and practical results. Localities have strengthened the review and proposal of solutions to remove institutional, mechanism and policy obstacles, helping production and business, attracting investment, and creating momentum for the successful achievement of many socio-economic targets set for the past year.
Administrative procedure reform has been implemented decisively, with many new pilot models closely linked to digital transformation and Project 06, bringing practical efficiency and benefits to residents and businesses. Organizational reform has also been implemented decisively, urgently and scientifically, achieving many breakthrough results.
The development of e-government and digital government continued to be a bright spot of reform, while the legal framework continued to be improved. Applications and databases have been strongly developed, data is regularly updated and interconnected for sharing, and they increasingly serve the direction and management activities of People’s Committee leaders at all local levels.
However, the 2024 assessment and ranking also showed that several administrative reform contents and tasks produced low results, were not sufficiently effective, and did not meet development requirements or residents’ expectations.
This also provides an opportunity for localities to study and analyze data, clearly identify shortcomings, limitations and causes, and then issue and implement solutions and corrective measures for each specific content and task. This will help strengthen administrative reform, improve the effectiveness of state management in the sectors and fields within their jurisdiction, and improve the quality of services for residents and businesses in 2025 and the following years.
Source: Government Portal