An In-Depth Look at PFM Reform in Vietnam

Public Financial and Civil Service Reform in Vietnam: Great Strides Made
April 1, 2009

The April ICGFM DC Forum presented intriguing analysis of reform in the government of Vietnam. Guest speaker Dr. Clay Wescott, Director of the Asian-Pacific Governance Institute and Visiting Lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School described "evidence based public administration reform".

2009 04 01 Towards Evidence Based Public Administration Reform In Viet Nam

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Dr. Wescott and two graduate students completed a comprehensive on site study of the Government of Vietnam Financial, and Human Resource infrastructure. This was done through interviews contrasted with historical facts and statistics. The analysis suggests that the country has seen remarkable improvement in public sector reform as compared with neighbouring and competing countries.

Vietnam has become leading competitor in the global market. The strategy for expedited growth began in 2001. This growth has been attributed to various factors especially the improvement in tax revenue implementation, expenditure reform and public financial management.

There are ample investment opportunities in Vietnam. The presenters cautioned that there is a lack of transparency and concerns about public agency corruption.

2009 04 01 Implementation Of Civil Service Legislation In Vietnam

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Civil service reform in Vietnam requires capacity building and retention. The growth in the private sector has provided more opportunities outside government. Improved capacity building will enable improvement in public financial management. Compensation strategies are needed to improve retention of talented civil servants.

The team recommends improved training and transparency. Transparency can be improved through a more independent financial watchdog with strong powers.