The 15^th release of PAPI reflects the opinions and expectations of the Vietnamese people on the effectiveness of State policy and law enforcement, local governance, and public service provision by governments at all levels in 2023. Additionally, the report is a driving force to promote administrative reform, towards a government with integrity, efficiency, and good service provision to the people.

Delegates attending the Conference to announce the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index Report in Vietnam (PAPI) 2023. (Source: UNDP)

The report shows that in 2023, citizens highly appreciated the effectiveness of anti-corruption and e-governance but underestimated the effectiveness of openness and transparency in local decision-making. The country's economic situation and household economic conditions were people's top concerns last year.

According to Associate Professor. Dr. Duong Trung Y, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the year 2023 marked a new record for the PAPI survey with the number of direct interviews of up to 19,536 people nationwide. Compared to the survey results of two years ago, it can be seen that the effectiveness of corruption control in the public sector has improved, and the effectiveness of e-governance has also recorded certain progress.

Associate Professor. Dr. Duong Trung Y, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, delivered an opening speech at the Conference. (Source: UNDP)

According to people's rankings, corruption fell from fifth place in 2022 to sixth place in 2023 in the list of 10 most concerning issues of the year. However, some corrupt practices still exist in the local public sector, negatively impacting people's trust. Notably, reports of having to rely on "relationships" to get a job in a State agency remain high, although the proportion of people who feel this way has decreased since 2016.

In addition to the annual focus contents, the 2023 PAPI report also pays special attention to evaluating the effectiveness of e-governance implementation in the context that the Government and all levels of the system are promoting the development of e-government, digital government, and digital citizenship.

United Nations Development Program Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi spoke at the Conference. (Source: UNDP)

E-governance plays an important pillar in effective public administration. Effective implementation of this model brings many practical benefits, namely minimizing cumbersome administrative procedures, creating convenience for people; promoting openness and transparency in the relationship between the government and the people; and limiting corruption, especially acts of solicitation in the provision of public services, which directly affect the people. Many countries around the world have successfully applied e-government, contributing to improving governance efficiency and improving people's quality of life.

In 2023, three issues people think the State needs to focus on solving in the next year are poverty (accounting for 22.39% of the total number of respondents), employment (12.79%), and economic growth (9.2%). These results show people’s serious concern about the economic situation in the past year.

Deirdre Ní Fhallúin, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to Vietnam shared the results of the survey, urging better solutions for poverty-stricken communities.

"Poverty and employment are still the issues people are most concerned about according to the results of the 2023 PAPI survey. Therefore, more than ever, everyone in the society, especially ethnic minorities and rural people, needs to benefit from Vietnam's rapid socio-economic development, ensuring that no one is left behind.”

Experts discussed at the Conference. (Photo: TGVN)

Citizens also expressed their concerns about environmental issues, climate change, and access to energy at reasonable prices.

In the context that Vietnam is aiming for an energy transition with many ambitious goals and efforts to minimize the impact of climate change, authorities at all levels need to pay attention to these issues to contribute to improving people's quality of life and ensuring the country's sustainable development.

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