Two-tier local government - Accelerating right from the start - Part 1: Connecting urban areas, serving people

As a megacity with over 14 million people, Ho Chi Minh City is operating a two-tier local government model with significant challenges. In a short time, Ho Chi Minh City has seen quiet but persistent changes in every service, meeting at wards and communes, and procedural improvements.

Editor's note: After the administrative unit arrangement, the 2-level local government model across the country has entered a period of strong acceleration. From big cities to remote communes, each grassroots government is learning how to serve better with a more compact apparatus. Wherever officials dare to change their way of doing things, people clearly feel the change. The series of articles "2-level local government - Accelerating right from the start" records the transformation journey of local governments - not through carefully crafted reports at conferences, but through slices of life in each ward, commune, reception counter, and neighborhood meeting. The model of movement starts at each grassroots level, where administrative reform is no longer a slogan.

People come to do procedures at the Public Administration Service Center of Thu Duc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VIET DUNG

Outstanding facilities

In need of a Marriage Status Certificate, Mr. Nguyen Trong Nhan went to Tan Hung Ward (HCMC) to submit his application. At the Public Administration Service Center of the ward, he was guided by a volunteer youth force to receive the application form at the declaration creation kiosk. Insert the chip-embedded ID card into the scanning gate, select the administrative procedure (TTHC) that needs to be resolved and press the button, a procedure declaration form with all his personal information is printed out. Mr. Nhan receives, signs and waits for his turn in order to submit the application. Except for the waiting time, the application receiving process only takes about 2 minutes. Impressed with the declaration creation kiosk, Mr. Nhan commented that the ward equipped with this kiosk is very useful, helping people not to have to print the procedure form and waste time filling in information like before, but only a few operations on the touch screen to select the type of procedure and it's done.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Thien, Director of Tan Hung Ward Public Administration Service Center, informed that the ward has researched many solutions to support officials and civil servants in guiding and receiving people's documents, ensuring that people do not have to wait more than 20 minutes when submitting administrative procedures, including a smart kiosk that creates declarations by scanning chip-embedded ID cards. This solution helps people not to be confused in filling in information, and officials and civil servants also save time in guiding and editing information.

Ms. Tran Pham Thao Trang was very impressed with the Thu Duc Ward Public Administration Service Center (HCMC). As soon as she entered, a robot approached to greet her and invite her inside. When she settled down in the waiting chair, another robot came out to invite Ms. Trang to choose a service with a screen with a QR code to get a queue number. Next, the first robot approached to invite her to have water, snacks (such as candy, cakes, etc.) and reminded customers to put their trash in the bin. "Everything was very smooth and orderly. Two robots ran back and forth to serve each person, it looked very interesting," Ms. Trang shared. The Thu Duc Ward Public Administration Service Center is designed with an "open" space, creating closeness between officials, civil servants and people. There is a waiting area, a table and chair area for people to fill out information on the administrative procedure declaration form. There is also a free legal consultation room deployed by the Ward Youth Union in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association Youth Union.

After operating the two-level local government, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee announced a list of administrative procedures to receive and return results at the provincial and commune-level one-stop shops, including 2,168 administrative procedures in 15 fields. Of which, there are 1,862 provincial-level administrative procedures, 363 commune-level administrative procedures, and 9 administrative procedures belonging to other agencies (some administrative procedures are under the authority of the provincial and commune levels). The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also issued a list of administrative procedures that do not depend on administrative boundaries in Ho Chi Minh City (phase 1), including 1,182 administrative procedures under the authority of 13 departments and 154 administrative procedures under the authority of communes.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc directed communes, wards, and special zones to proactively arrange the number of counters and locations of counters to receive and return results at the Commune-level Public Administration Service Centers in a way that creates convenience for people and businesses when coming to transact administrative procedures. Proactively adjust according to the actual situation, not allowing overload or people and businesses to wait more than 20 minutes to submit administrative procedures. In addition, strictly implement the digitization of records, documents, and results of administrative procedures during the process of receiving, processing, and returning results at the One-Stop Department. Reuse information and data that have been digitized, stored in national databases, specialized databases, and electronic connections to serve people and businesses.

Don't passively wait for assignment.

The operation of the 2-level local government apparatus nationwide in 34 provinces and cities has strategic significance, marking a new stage of development, towards perfecting a modern, creative, close-to-the-people, and people-serving administrative management system. In operating this model, the commune level is the place that is most direct and closest to the people. General Secretary To Lam reminded: "The settlement of administrative procedures for the people must be at the commune level, the people do not have to go to the province, city or the Central Government to do anything. For anything beyond the authority of the commune, the commune reports to the province or city, the people do not have to go to the province". The General Secretary also requested innovation in thinking and management towards a creative government; building a team of commune cadres with comprehensive capacity, the ability to apply digital technology , understand the people, and closely follow reality; must promote administrative reform and digital transformation in handling procedures to interact with the people.

Instructing people to do administrative procedures at the Public Administration Service Center of Tam Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VIET DUNG

That spirit of direction has spread, creating a strong motivation among the staff and civil servants to work with a spirit of dedication, anything that is beneficial to the people must be ready to do immediately, even if it is an unprecedented decision. In Ba Diem commune, one of the most populous communes in Ho Chi Minh City, on average, about 350 records are received and processed each day; as of July 16, no records have been delayed, including many procedures previously transferred from the district level to the commune. Some procedures such as the issuance of the first Land Use Right Certificate, the issuance of Construction Permits, etc. have been thoroughly decentralized to the commune, making it more convenient for people and saving time. In the first half month of operation, the commune has issued over 30 Construction Permits to people. People in need will be supported and resolved by the departments, offices, cadres and civil servants of the commune. In case it cannot be resolved immediately, the exact time will be announced for people to know. Thanks to that, the satisfaction rate of people and businesses with the commune's services always reaches 100%.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Diem Commune, said that in addition to supporting and guiding people to submit correct and complete documents, the commune has proactively cut down on the procedures for notarization. Instead of civil servants receiving, checking documents, then transferring them to the appraisal department, then submitting them to the leaders for signature, the commune now assigns the responsibility to the civil servants receiving the documents to appraise them and take responsibility. This helps to reduce a step and shorten the time for processing documents.

In Thanh An island commune (HCMC), surrounded by waves, the 2-level local government model still operates smoothly. Few people know that behind that peace are significant challenges, stemming from the unique characteristics of "maintaining the commune" - the commune-level administrative unit does not carry out the arrangement. With special communes like Thanh An, the People's Committee of the commune is not allowed to establish specialized departments or advisory departments like normal commune-level administrative units. This means that all the advisory work, meeting content preparation, implementation of instructions, etc. are all concentrated on a very thin apparatus. While waiting for instructions from the Central Government and HCMC on the organization of the apparatus for special communes, the leaders of Thanh An commune are trying to make sure the work goes smoothly.

Mr. Ho Hong Thanh Tinh, Chairman of Thanh An Commune People's Committee, shared that consulting, preparing documents, and holding meetings encountered many difficulties due to the lack of specialized departments. In order to avoid work interruptions, the commune proactively established specialized groups that are similar to Decree 150 of the Government, such as the Office of the People's Council - People's Committee, the Economic Group, and the Cultural - Social Group, instead of official departments. In the context that the commune does not have a Public Administration Service Center, the commune leaders decided to establish a Public Administration Group to ensure service to the people.

Mr. LE THANH NGUYEN, Con Dao special zone, Ho Chi Minh City:

My fiancée and I went to the Con Dao Special Zone Public Administration Service Center to register our marriage. Because I had lost some old documents, before going, I was worried about whether the procedures would be complicated. Luckily, I was thoroughly supported by the staff. I only needed to provide information and my ID card and all procedures were processed quickly and smoothly. There were many people doing the procedures, the staff had a lot of work and were busy, but they were trying very hard, I could see that clearly!

Mr. BUI HUU THE, Deputy Director of the Public Administration Service Center of Con Dao Special Zone:

Con Dao Special Zone promotes the application of information technology, deploys the construction of Zalo OA channel to guide and provide information to people; people can also reflect and make recommendations through the special zone's electronic information page. The special zone is reviewing and planning to equip more computers, scanners, photocopiers, printers and other supporting equipment to better serve the online transaction needs of people and organizations... We are radically changing the way we work: applying modern technology, arranging staff according to task groups, arranging regular citizen reception schedules...

PV GROUP

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-2-cap-tang-toc-ngay-khi-khoi-dong-bai-1-ket-noi-do-thi-phuc-vu-nguoi-dan-post805735.html