The launch of the 2020 PAPI report in Hanoi (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn)
The 2020 PAPI report indicated that in 2020, the percentages of respondents seeing bribes as necessary for jobs in state agencies, health-care services at district-level public hospitals, land use right certificates, fair treatment by primary school teachers, and the granting of construction permits continued declining since 2016, the first year of the 2016-2021 government term, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
As many as 18 provinces and cities made significant progress in the control of corruption in the public sector last year compared to 2019. Out of the 16 best performers, seven are from the south, four from the central region, and three from the north. As in previous years, Ben Tre performed well overall in this dimension. Six provinces experienced significant setbacks in 2020, with Ninh Thuan and Ninh Binh had the largest declines.
Nine out of the top 10 performers in controlling corrupt behaviours in local administrations and public services are central and southern provinces. Quang Ninh, Dong Thap, Ben Tre, Quang Tri, and Quang Nam are the top five performers in this indicator.
Compared to the 2016 findings, personal relationships have become less important in all provinces and cities, implying that local administrations may have paid greater attention to a fair recruitment of state employees. However, personal relationships remain very important for five public office positions at the commune level, even among the top performers.
The control of corruption in the public sector is one of the eight dimensions in the PAPI survey. The others are the participation at local levels, transparency in local decision making, vertical accountability towards citizens, public administrative procedures, public service delivery, environmental governance, and e-governance.
PAPI is a flagship governance programme initiated by the UN Development Programmes in Vietnam since 2009. It measures and benchmarks citizens’ experiences and perception on the performance and quality of policy implementation and services delivery of all 63 provincial administrations in Vietnam to advocate for effective and responsive governance.
Over 14,700 citizens were interviewed for the 2020 PAPI Report. This is the largest number of citizens to participate since the survey was first conducted nationwide in 2011. For the first time, the survey also gathered responses from citizens with temporary residence registration status. Nearly 300 migrants were surveyed in six provinces and centrally governed municipalities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Da Nang, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong).
Vietnam’s Bai Dam Trau listed among 25 most beautiful beaches worldwide
Travel + Leisure magazine of the US recently ranks Bai Dam Trau on Con Dao Island among the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world, reported the Voice of Vietnam.
Dam Trau Beach. (Photo: Internet)
“Trying to select Vietnam's most beautiful beach is tough, but Bai Dam Trau in the Con Dao islands is certainly a top contender,” the article describes.
“With distinct golden sand, soft swells, and shady groves of bamboo and evergreen trees, it's the kind of place to spend the day gently swinging in a hammock with a beach read and walking in the surf with a freshly hacked coconut,” it adds.
Topping the list is Saud Beach on Luzon island in the Philippines, followed by Elafonissi Beach in Greece and Nungwi Beach in Tanzania.
Along with the Vietnamese beach, the list also sees two further representatives from the Asian region, including Railay West in Thailand and Radhanagar in India.
Travel + Leisure magazine is based in the United States and is among the most prestigious sites which publishes global travel reviews.
Most notably, the 2019 version of the list saw Hoi An city named as one of 15 most beautiful cities across the world. Last year saw Travel + Leisure magazine place Vietnamese hotel The Reverie Saigon at 57th position among the 100 best hotels globally.
Three industrial clusters established in Thai Nguyen province
The Thai Nguyen Provincial People’s Committee granted the certificate on the establishment of three industrial clusters to investor - Saigon Telecom Technology JSC (SAIGONTEL).
The three industrial clusters include Tan Phu 1 and Tan Phu 2 in Pho Yen Town and Luong Son in Song Cong City, which have a total area of over 160ha, said the Nhan Dan newspaper.
At the ceremony (Photo: giaoducthoidai.vn)
The three clusters have total investment of approximately VND1.2 trillion (US$51.90 million) and will be built in the 2021-2023 period.
Addressing the ceremony, Secretary of Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai expressed his belief that the establishment of the industrial clusters will further promote the development of Thai Nguyen Province in the future.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAIGONTEL Dang Thanh Tam appreciated Thai Nguyen Province for facilitating the company’s investment in the project while affirming his determination to complete the project as scheduled.
Earlier in January 2021, SAIGONTEL and Thai Nguyen Province signed a memorandum of commitment to finance the planning of Thai Nguyen Province and the digital transformation in the province in addition to researching the investment in a number of key projects in the region.
On the occasion, the People’s Committee of Thai Nguyen Province presented certificates of merit to a collective and three individuals working at SAIGONTEL for their contributions to attracting investment and promoting socio-economic development in the province./.