Ha Noi (VNA) - The Netherlands Government has committed 4.2 million USD in aid for administrative reforms in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
A pact underscoring the initiative, which was signed in Ha Noi on August 21 between MARD, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Dutch Embassy to Viet Nam, will last for four and half years from September.
It will enable MARD to go ahead with three new strategies of decentralising power to lower administrative levels, the outsourcing of public services to external sources, and encouraging community participation in the development process.
MARD Vice-Minister Vu Van Tam said “MARD sees this capacity development project a very timely and significant initiative on public administrative reforms, which will facilitate the Ministry’s work in developing and piloting new and creative reform models.”
The project seeks to help MARD gradually prompt into a new agency that focuses on macro level management. At the same time, the three new strategies will allow MARD and local authorities better meet the increasing demands of the rural public and foreign businesses operating inside the country.
Andre Haspels, Ambassador of the Netherlands, said “Viet Nam has achieved significant socio-economic growth over the last 10 years. At the same time, Viet Nam also faces new challenges to be able to cope with the pace of development. Good governnance - including an effective Government - is the key for further socio-economic growth.”
For her part, UNDP country director Setsuko Yamazaki highlighted the project’s goal in showcasing public administrative reform contributions to poverty reduction and the achievement of Millenium Development Goals in Viet Nam.
She said these efforts should be achieved through “giving the rural population, including the rural poor, an opportunity to access critical Government and market information that enable their voices to be heard in decision-making.”
“Clearly, the results and lessons that will be drawn from this project will be extremely beneficial not only for the rest of Viet Nam, but may also inspire reforms in other countries,” the UNDP chief concluded.--Enditem
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