(VOVWORLD) - Solutions to improve national governance quality and efficiency are for the first time mentioned in the draft documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress. The solutions mention fine-tuning the socialist-oriented market economy mechanism and tackling obstacles. Cadres’ capacity is considered a decisive factor to ensure rapid and sustainable development.
 A queue at petrol shop during the subsidiary period in Vietnam (Photo: quanlynhanuoc.vn) |
“People should be engaged in policy making and oversight of policy enforcement and reflect people’s aspirations, said Doctor Nguyen Si Dung, former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office while mentioning national governance. Dung said state management is a too narrow a perception of the State role in management. National governance is a wider concept that encompasses enforcing State power. 'To improve national governance capacity, it’s crucial to abide by principles. We need to ensure jurisdiction, ensure transparency of state activities, and accountability and engage people’s participation. We need legal regulations to engage people’s participation and specify that participation. People oversee the law enforcement via the Front,' said Dung.
 (Photo: quanlynhanuoc.vn) |
Over the past decades, countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore have grown rapidly while others have remained in poverty. The difference has been due to their national governance capacity. Associate Professor Doctor Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute for Environment and Development, says institutions and cadres’ capacity play an important role in improving national governance capacity. An said, 'National governance is demonstrated in all fields and at all levels. It’s more important at the central level. We need to enhance training, appoint the right cadres, and evaluate efficiency to improve national governance. Evaluating efficiency means evaluating the performance of governance. I think we should pay more attention to national governance in training strategic cadres.'
Le Thanh Van, a permanent member of the National Assembly’s Committee for Finance and State Budget, said improving national governance capacity is inseparable from improving cadres’ quality:
"Quality cadres is the key to ensuring national governance. The cadres must have good command of management and profound knowledge. The institution must be capable of managing the state’s social order. We also need to let people and enterprises mobilize their own resources.' said Van.
Vietnam’s strength, status, and competitiveness have grown during 35 years of national renewal while its socio-politics and macro-economy have been stable and trust has increased.
But the national economy is now facing multiple challenges and risks including the middle-income trap and the possibility of going backward. More than ever, it’s important to fine-tune institutions and improve national governance capacity with an open legal system which will support new business initiatives. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said it was a test of national governance last year when Vietnam had to control the COVID-19 pandemic while protecting economic growth.
'Previously, evaluating the competitiveness of our economy, we agreed that it was a small economy with poor resilience. But in 2020, our economy managed to grow despite its limitations. We learned a lesson about governance. In difficulties, agriculture stood as a strong supporting pillar for the national economy.' said Phuong.
Changing a state management mindset to one of national governance will require breakthroughs in the legal system and policies to mobilize more financial, land, and human resources. It will also require strong innovation in every field.