Mr. Nguyen Tan Cuong - Chairman of Dien Khanh Commune People's Committee, Khanh Hoa province has signed a document acknowledging the failure to fully disclose information related to planning on the commune's electronic information page. At the same time, he apologized to the people for the above shortcomings.
Previously, through the reflection system of Khanh Hoa province, a citizen said that the electronic information portal of Dien Khanh commune had not fully posted the content of the zoning plan of the western urban area of Nha Trang (sub-zone 2) and the zoning adjustment plan of the central Dien Khanh sub-zone according to Decision No. 1895/QD-UBND dated June 29, 2025.
These are planning projects assigned by Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee to Dien Khanh commune to organize the development. By the time of reflection, the projects had been approved but had not been fully announced according to regulations.
Leaders of Dien Khanh commune also said that the locality has completed the full disclosure of information related to planning projects on the commune's electronic information page.
First of all, this is a very commendable apology move. Because in reality, not all commune, ward and local leaders are willing to admit shortcomings and publicly apologize to the people.
The fact that the leaders of Dien Khanh commune signed a document recognizing responsibility, and at the same time urgently supplemented the planning dossier to the system is a timely response, showing receptiveness.
However, this apology also more or less shows a gap in information in public administration in some localities.
The urban area zoning plan - like the story in Dien Khanh commune, is not an internal document. But it is public information, the basis for people to shape living, investment, and production plans.
An approved plan but not fully and promptly announced means that people are put in a passive position in the face of changes that may directly affect their assets and livelihoods.
Information vacuum, even for a short time, is enough to create a psychology of suspicion. And once trust is eroded, the "cost" to restore it will be much greater than making it public right from the beginning.
What is noteworthy in the apology story in Dien Khanh commune is the supervisory role of the people. It was the reflection from a citizen through the province's system that forced the local government to review and re-publish the information.
This shows that when there are appropriate tools and access channels, people can completely participate in the monitoring process effectively.
Of course, the information transparency of the government cannot only be based on reminders and supervision from the people. But transparency must become a fixed, regular process, which is a constituent factor in the operating system of commune and ward governments.
And this transparency needs to be accompanied by a regular inspection mechanism, with an automatic monitoring system, assigning specific responsibilities to each implementing position.
