Directive No. 10/2006/CT-TTg on Reducing Administrative Documents and Papers in the Activities of State Administrative Agencies

DIRECTIVE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
On reducing administrative documents and papers in the operation of
state administrative agencies

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In recent years, along with the process of intensifying administrative reform, especially the application of information technology in management, the work of archives and management of administrative documents and papers in the activities of state administrative agencies at all levels and sectors has gradually been improved, made significant progress, and added many tools and forms for directing, managing, and exchanging information, with quality and effectiveness continuously increasing. However, one of the common weaknesses and inadequacies of the administrative machinery currently is the excessive use of administrative documents and papers in the relationship of handling affairs among state administrative agencies; arbitrary printing, copying, and sending of documents and materials, leading to waste, causing many difficulties, complexities, and inconveniences in administrative procedures, negatively affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of directing, managing, and handling affairs of state administrative agencies.

The main cause of this situation is the lingering formalism and over-reliance on documents and papers in the habits and working methods of the administrative machinery; complicated administrative procedures; slow adoption and effective use of information technology in management; slow revision and supplementation of legal provisions regarding archival work and management of administrative documents and papers in the activities of state administrative agencies.

To fundamentally reduce administrative documents and papers in the operations of state administrative agencies, bring the issuance and use of administrative documents and papers into order and routine, implement reforms and simplification of administrative procedures, improve the quality and effectiveness of directing and managing, and better serve the people, the Prime Minister directs:

1. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairmen of provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall direct the review, amendment, and strict implementation of their agencies' working regulations and those of subordinate organizations, focusing on building and perfecting reasonable and scientific processes for receiving, processing, and issuing documents; improving printing, copying, and distribution of administrative documents and papers according to the spirit of thorough thrift, combating waste, and eliminating formalism.

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall be responsible for guiding, supervising, and inspecting the implementation of Decree No. 110/2004/NĐ-CP dated April 8, 2004 of the Government on archival work in state administrative agencies from central to local levels, gradually modernizing and quickly bringing archival work into order and routine.

The Office of the Government shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to continue standardizing the format and presentation techniques of various types of administrative documents and papers uniformly used in the system of state administrative agencies. Research and apply a type of administrative document and paper that can perform multiple functions and handle various types of tasks.

3. Agencies authorized to issue regulations on administrative procedures and organizational procedures for implementing these procedures, particularly administrative procedures in relations between state agencies and citizens and businesses, shall be responsible for:

a) Reviewing administrative procedures, clearly and specifically defining necessary documents for handling matters for individuals and organizations, firmly eliminating unreasonable and unnecessary documents. Strictly prohibiting agencies and officials from arbitrarily creating documents contrary to regulations.

Implementing the principle that individuals and organizations must bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness and accuracy of related documents when dealing with state agencies in administrative procedures.

b) Standardizing, synchronously issuing, and publicly announcing necessary models of administrative documents for handling matters for individuals and organizations. Administrative document models must be uniform nationwide in format and presentation techniques, simple, easy to understand, and easy to use.

4. Vigorously applying information technology to reduce administrative documents and papers:

a) Heads of administrative agencies at all levels and sectors shall be responsible for directing research and application of science and technology, especially information technology, in handling matters, gradually replacing the use of administrative documents and papers in transmitting information and handling related matters.

b) Agencies that have internal computer networks (LANs) shall quickly implement the transmission, exchange, and processing of administrative documents and papers within the agency and with other agencies and organizations through the network, moving towards primarily using the network.

Agencies that have not yet established internal computer networks need to urgently build them to quickly achieve the above objectives.

c) The Minister, Head of the Government Office shall be responsible for perfecting and promoting the role of the Government's wide-area network in information, sending, and processing documents between state administrative agencies; in the third quarter of 2006, promulgate the Management and Usage Regulations of the Government's Wide-Area Network, specifying the requirements for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and provincial People's Committees under the Central Government to send information and reports to the Government and the Prime Minister through the Government's wide-area network, without sending documents via postal service or fax as currently practiced.

In 2006, ministries, sectors, and local authorities shall develop and promulgate internal network usage regulations according to unified guidelines from competent authorities; train staff in knowledge and skills in using IT tools while performing official duties.

5. Heads of administrative units at all levels and sectors shall be responsible for:

a) Specify concretely and strictly manage the copying and sending of regulatory legal documents and various types of administrative documents within the organization as well as outside the agency or unit.

The head of an administrative agency with the authority to issue regulatory legal documents, individual documents, or delegated authority to manage the issuance of such documents shall be responsible for specifying the list of agencies, organizations, and individuals as "recipients" of the document for each type of document. Regulatory legal documents shall only be sent to agencies and organizations with the functions and powers to organize implementation, supervise, and inspect matters related to the content of the document, not to other agencies and organizations for information or reference purposes.

Utilize internal computer networks to update all regulatory legal documents and directives from superiors to serve the reference needs of civil servants and public officials in performing their duties, thereby gradually reducing and ultimately eliminating the practice of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and people's committees at all levels photocopying received documents from higher-level agencies to send them to subordinate agencies and organizations.

b) Strengthen measures for education, propaganda, and encouragement for civil servants, public officials, and employees to continuously enhance their sense of responsibility and thrift, and to combat waste in their work; build scientific, modern, proactive, and creative working styles and procedures in the execution of official duties; encourage initiatives to reduce administrative documents and papers.

6. Administrative documents and papers necessary for implementing administrative functions and authorities in handling tasks (such as individual decisions, individual directives, circulars, programs, plans, proposals, reports, and others) must be sent to the correct address of the agency, unit, or individual responsible for resolving and executing the task; they should not be sent beyond the designated level or to other agencies, units, or individuals for information or reference purposes, as a substitute for reporting on completed work.

7. The Minister, Head of a ministerial-level agency, Head of a government-affiliated agency, and Chairman of provincial-level people's committees directly under the central government must clearly define the tasks, powers, and responsibilities of the Director of the Ministry's Office, the Director of the provincial-level people's committee's office in managing, issuing, and effectively and economically using various types of administrative documents and papers within subordinate agencies and organizations.

8. In addition to the responsibilities stipulated in points 2 and 4 of this Directive, the Minister and Director of the Government Office also have the responsibility:

a) To strengthen the capacity of the Government Office in carrying out tasks and powers regarding the management of administrative documents and papers of state administrative agencies as prescribed by law.

b) To take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to develop and promulish according to their authority or submit to the Government and Prime Minister for promulgation a set of regulatory legal documents on procedures and processes for managing and using administrative documents and papers in state administrative agencies. c) To take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to study, develop, and promulgate regulations on handling administrative management tasks via computer networks, particularly in receiving and processing individual and organizational tasks.

c) Chair and coordinate with relevant agencies to study, develop, and promulgate regulations on the handling of administrative management tasks via computer networks, particularly in receiving and processing individual and organizational matters.

9. The Minister and Director of the Government Office are responsible for guiding, urging, and inspecting ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and provincial-level people's committees directly under the central government in implementing this Directive.