It has been a major step toward the target of publicising administrative procedures and has given the public the tools to supervise State administrative agencies, he said. 

The deputy was among a majority of parliamentarians who agreed that it has been correct to assign the National Assembly the task of overseeing the reform of administrative procedures for land, housing, tax and customs. 

Their opinions were part of an appraisal of Government's achievements in administrative reform as it has affected ordinary people and enterprises during the past ten years, especially since the launch of Project 30. 

Their debate, which assessed a Standing Committee report, was televised nationally. 

The report says that for the first time Vietnam has a National Database for Administrative Procedures in State Management for the centre; provinces, districts and communes. 

The Government has continuously asked the assembly to revise and promulgate numerous laws and decrees and to implement specific solutions to accelerate administrative reform, it says. It also shows that most ministries, sectors and localities have met their requirement to simplify 30 percent of administrative procedures. 

Among 5,421 procedures reviewed, 480 were reduced to 192 with 4,416 revised and amended. 

In addition, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has required that the simplification process reduce administrative costs for individuals and enterprises by a yearly 30 percent. 

Deputy Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said the database and the introduction of online services was the most noticeable success. More than 5,700 administrative procedures are now available to the public online. 

"It's calculated that administrative procedure simplification saves us about US$395 million each year," the deputy said. 

Deputy Nguyen Van Quynh, northern Quang Ninh province, and Pham Manh Hung, northern Thai Nguyen province, together with Deputy Huynh Van Tiep, Can Tho, the Mekong Delta, said the achievements in administrative-procedure reform were reflected in socio-economic development and the improved investment environment. 

Some deputies hailed the World Bank and International Finance Corporation's report Doing Business 2011 as a vivid example of how administrative reform has progressed. The report, published on November 4, lists Vietnam among the world's 10 most improved economies. 

Despite the success, many deputies complained that numerous administrative procedures are overtapped, take too long and lack transparency. 

Deputy Nguyen Ngoc Minh, central Ninh Thuan province and Deputy Cao Si Kiem, northern Thai Binh province, said the bureaucratic practices of administrative staff remain a barrier to business. 

Deputies Tran Thi Loc, northern Bac Kan province, and Huynh Nghia, Da Nang, said people are the most important to the success of the administrative reform and should be given more attention. 

Deputy Mai Thi Anh Tuyet, southern An Giang province, said salaries and training for administrative staff should be included in administrative reform. 

The application of information technology was the key to successful State management, advised deputy Le Doan Hop, northern Hung Yen province. 

"It's the fastest way to implement administrative procedures and most effective way to minimise negatives," he said.