Businesses Start Up Quicker with Online Database

When Nguyen Thang wanted to start his marketing and product branding business, there was no need to spend a lot of time searching for legal documents on licensing procedures or tax codes. All he needed to do was visit the listing of administrative procedures on a new national database of administrative procedures, which came online with the technical support of USAID.

"The benefits the database provided to me were huge," said Thang, the director of Vietnam Business Development Co. Ltd. "With one click I easily found the information I needed and could also download the administrative forms I had to complete."

Simply by visiting the national database (www.thutuchanhchinh.vn), he was able to tap into more than 5,700 administrative procedures, 9,000 legal documents and 100,000 administrative templates and forms.

"I now know where I can find legal guidance and the specific steps required to comply and complete any legal procedure," he explained. "The information is fully accessible and the time and resources saved can be used for other business tasks such as marketing and focusing on growing the business."

About 80,000 new businesses register in Vietnam each year. The national database of administrative procedures helps businesses stay abreast of the plethora of administrative procedures as well as new legal requirements. Transparent access through the database is crucial to encourage business startups at minimum cost. "I visit the site regularly to keep up-to-date with any new regulations and administrative procedures," he said. "It is efficient, well-structured and user friendly."

The database is built on the principles of transparency and security for individual and institutional users and features advanced search and other interactive functions. The launch of the database was selected as one of the top ten events of 2009 in Vietnam by the Vietnam News Agency.

"For the first time in 65 years of independence Vietnam, has created and developed a national database of administrative procedures implemented at all four levels of government," said Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Minister and Chairman of the Office of the Government. "The system is easily accessible and transparent; a "one-stop-shop" for administrative procedures that will serve the entire country of 88 million people. Legal forms can be downloaded and printed directly from the national database instead of having to collect them in persons from public bureaus."

Since 2007, USAID's Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative program (USAID/VNCI) has supported the Government of Vietnam in designing and implementing the Master Plan for the Simplification of Administrative Procedures in all areas of State Management (known as Project 30). The comprehensive national database system uses USAID-financed technical expertise and hardware and software developed from international experience to make the process of doing business in Vietnam easier for businesses, citizens, and public servants.

Efforts like these are paying dividends for Vietnam's economy. According to the World Bank's Doing Business 2011: Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs report, Vietnam earned a spot among the 10 most-improved economies in the ease of doing business for local firms in 2009-2010. Vietnam, which moved up 10 places in the global rankings to 78 among 183 economies, was applauded for improvements in the ease of starting up businesses, construction permits, and credit.