In general, there were positive changes in the satisfaction of people and organisations with state agencies as well as the 2021 public administration reform (PAR) index in spite of difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Particularly, people’s satisfaction with administrative agencies improved. The average value of this index was 87.16 per cent, higher than the figure for 2020. 

Public administration reform has made positive changes, especially in institutional reform. Online public services provided at level 3 and level 4 (the highest level) increased to 76 per cent. Also, the restructuring of the apparatus and streamlining of personnel fulfilled the set targets. 

National digital transformation was promoted, contributing to the construction of the e-government and e-administration. 

In the context of the special difficulties of 2021 due to the impacts of the pandemic, the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, sectors and localities paid great attention to promoting administration reform. In comparison with 2020, the PAR Index and the index measuring the satisfaction with administrative services of the Home Affairs improved in terms of ranking with the highest rate among ministries. How was this result achieved? The Ministry of Home Affairs has made improvements in comparison with the previous year. It was attributed to the efforts of the ministry’s agencies and units to reform and improve service quality toward the satisfaction of people and businesses. 

However, I am not really satisfied with the result. As an agency providing consultancy for the Government in administration reform, I still always require the ministry’s agencies and units to continue improving public services quality and improving the satisfaction of people and organisations with their administrative services. One important goal of the ministry is to become one of the leading units in digital transformation among ministries and sectors. 

We will continue strengthening administrative reform, building a professional and modern administration serving the people, putting the people at the centre and taking people’s satisfaction as a measurement to evaluate the operation quality of the State administrative apparatus, contributing to promoting innovation. 

Additionally, we will strongly build and develop the e-government and the digital government in association with administrative reform in order to improve operation and services effectiveness and efficiency towards transparency, publicity and modernity. Although administrative reform has gained positive results, it has still failed to meet expectations. Construction and implementation of institutions, policies and laws failed to meet requirements. This is also a factor hindering socio-economic recovery and development. Shortcomings in the implementation of administrative reform also affect investment and the business environment as well as people’s expectations. 

It is necessary to acknowledge that there are many things to do in the future. The focus should be put on synchronously and resolutely reforming related institutions and policies to help remove all barriers and mobilise resources used to promote socio-economic recovery and development. 

Attention should also be paid to administrative procedure reform, particularly in the provision of online public services to speed up digital transformation in handling administrative procedures for people, organisations and businesses.