PAPI 2020 - the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index - a flagship governance program initiated by the United Nations, has reached its highest level in the last 10 years.
Provinces and cities in the Northeast, North Central region, and the Mekong River Delta achieved the highest scores while the lowest could be seen in the Northwest, Central Highlands, and South Central Coast. However, the gaps in scores between provinces were not big.
PAPI 2020 - the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index
Notably, public sector corruption and public accountability were two of the 8 PAPI indicators that have significantly improved, especially under the COVID 19 pandemic. 90% of respondents were satisfied with the handling of COVID-19, denunciations, and complaints between authorities and the people. Meanwhile, poverty, health care, insurance, and employment were the most concerning issues for people in the past year.