Outcomes and shortcomings in solving administrative formalities under the “one-top” service in the first quarter of 2013 in Vinh Phuc Investment Promotion Agency

IPA Vinh Phuc has appointed two civil servants that are in charge of solving administrative formalities. Aslo, the Agency has coordinated with relevant departments and branches to suggest Chairman of Vinh Phuc People’s Committee deciding to summon eleven cadres, civil servants (two from Department of Planning and Investment, two from Department of Finance, two from Department of Natural Resources and Environment, two from Department of Construction, one from Department of Fire Police and two from Management Board of Industrial Zones) to hold concurrently in IPA. IPA has unified to be on duty on weekdays (even on Saturday) to guide the completion of files for FDI and DDI projects; projects funded by state budget and ODA projects in Vinh Phuc.

Receiving projects documents through IPA and sending to departments and branches to preside the settlement are implemented as prescribed in Decision No 40 and 41/2012/QĐ-UBND of Provincial People’s Committee. In the first quarter of 2013, IPA received 171 project files including:

– 137 files of construction investment projects funded by state budget, among which 107 files were sent to Department of Planning and Investment and 30 files were sent to Department of Finance.

– 34 files of DDI and FDI projects, among which 10 files are sent to Department of Planning and Investment, 01 file was sent to Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 11 files were sent to Department of Construction, 11 files were sent to Management Board of Industrial Zones and 01 file was sent to Department of Fire Police.

IPA has actively coordinated with Provincial People’s Committee and relevant agencies to address the project files and return results to investors in accordance with regulations. As a result, among 63 mature files, there were 54 files (accounting for 85.72%) solved and returned before due, 01 file (accounting for 1.59%) solved and returned on schedule and 08 files (accounting for 12.69%) solved and returned over due.

Aiming at enhancing the solving quality of administrative formalities, IPA has actively updated documents stipulated administrative formalities. In addition, there has been always someone on duty at IPA to welcome and guide investors to complete project files. IPA has prepaid fees to solve administrative formalities and provided investors with favorable conditions. For complicated projects, IPA has hactively coordinated with relevant departments and branches to suggest Chairman of Provincial People’s Committee providing guiding documents to timely solve difficulties, helping investors soon deploy the implementation of projects. IPA suggested Provincial People’s Committee organizing the Ceremony of Granting Investment Certificate for Ohashi Tekko joint stock company (Japan) that had the investment project of Ohashi mechanical production and outwork factory with the registered capital of USD 14.346 million.

In spite of achievements got in the first quarter of 2013 in receiving projects files under the “one-top” model at IPA, there are limitations needing to be overcome. Specifically, receiving files met the requirements of quantity and file list but the content quality that needed supplementing during the solving process. The procedures and orders of file flow among state agencies has not yet unified, so some investors had to submit documents directly, even in some cases contractors submitted files and received results on behalf of investors. Updating the information of solving progress and results has not been yet timely. Presiding departments, branches and relevant agencies, units has still lacked a close coordination of solving administrative formalities. Therefore, some agencies has not met the response time when presiding departments, branches required written opinions, which had an impact on the solving time of administrative formalities; consequently, a number of files were solved later in compared with the prescribed time.

According to Decision 40, 41, relevant departments and branches in the process of solving administrative formalities under the “one-top” service at IPA have not checked the procedures of receiving and solving administrative formalities that they are in charge of  and have not coordinated with Office of Provincial People’s Committee in controlling administrative formalities to suggest Provincial People’s Committee adjusting appropriately. Hence, after files were received at IPA, they were sent to the “one-top” division before being sent to the solving division of departments, which made the flow of files to be overlapped.

Recognizing the above shortcomings, IPA shall actively suggest Chairman of Provincial People’s Committee – Head of Investment Promotion Steering Committee directing relevant departments and branches to overcome. This shall improve the effectiveness of the administrative formalities reform under the “one-top” model at IPA Vinh Phuc, which contributes to improve the investment environment in the province./.