Procedures for serving the public
On Monday morning, we arrived at the Tan Son Hoa Ward Public Administrative Service Center. Right at the entrance, several militia members were on duty, some directing parking, others inquiring about people's needs to quickly guide them through the necessary procedures.
Inside, the headquarters is not large but neatly arranged. Each counter has a nameplate with the name of the official and a contact phone number. The center also publicly displays the phone numbers of the director and deputy director so that people can report issues directly (if needed).
In mid-April, Tan Son Hoa ward began implementing the "One-Stop Shop - Multiple Amenities" model for business households. At the business registration office, in addition to professional staff, bank employees are also present to assist with opening accounts and guiding through business registration procedures. Things that previously required people to travel to multiple locations are now organized into one place.
In addition, people receive initial advice on tax obligations, the use of electronic invoices, and the registration of digital signatures. Concepts that were previously unfamiliar to small business owners are now explained directly at the point of processing. With such support, people's entry into business is no longer a major obstacle.
Mr. Do Van Tuan (born in 1992, residing in Tan Son Hoa ward) came to register his apartment business. This is the first time he has gone through this procedure. "Before, I thought it would take 1-2 days and I would have to go to many places to complete it. Now, I can do everything in one place, which is much more convenient," Mr. Tuan said.
Ms. Vo Pham Y Nhi, Deputy Director of the Public Administrative Service Center of Tan Son Hoa Ward, said: “On average, the ward receives about 30-50 business registration applications each month. Now, people can complete almost the entire business registration process at one location, instead of having to go to multiple agencies as before.”
From small changes in a locality, it can be seen that administrative reform does not need to be something too grand; it only needs to be a change in the way services are provided so that people do not have to "chase after procedures," but rather procedures are reorganized to serve the people.
Outstanding results of administrative reform in Ho Chi Minh City.
*2,231 administrative procedures have been announced, of which 2,066 are not dependent on administrative boundaries.
*Completed the consolidation of systems, providing 2,066 administrative procedures in the electronic environment.
*Review and propose reductions and simplifications of over 500 procedures.
*Deploy "Digital Citizen Station" models, self-service kiosks, and intelligent robots at public administrative service centers.
*Implementing the "receiving applications regardless of administrative boundaries" model.
Trust in a government that is close to the people and serves the people.
In another locality, the local government is also proactively bringing public services closer to the people. Mr. Tu Lien (57 years old, residing in Tay Nam ward) carefully arranged the documents related to his family's plot of land, which is over 1,400 square meters, before going to the Dong Soi neighborhood office.
He plans to subdivide the land, dividing it equally between his two children. The neighborhood office is spacious and well-ventilated, equipped with some basic electronic devices, and community digital transformation team members are present to guide residents when needed.
Mr. Lien said that he was not tech-savvy and had never submitted an application online before. The neighborhood officials reviewed each document, showed him how to take photos and scan documents, and then guided him step-by-step through the process on his phone. Logging into the VNeID application was confusing; Mr. Lien made mistakes repeatedly, but the members of the Community Digital Transformation Team patiently guided him again from the beginning.
A few days later, Mr. Lien went to the Public Administrative Service Center of Tay Nam Ward. There, the youth union members continued to assist him in checking his documents and supplementing any missing paperwork. Holding the stack of completed documents, Mr. Lien expressed: “Old people like me aren’t very tech-savvy, but thanks to the young people’s patience in guiding me step by step, I know how to do it now. The officials these days are very enthusiastic and approachable.”
Ms. Ly Thanh Phuong and her daughter went to the Tay Nam Ward Public Administrative Service Center to correct information on her son-in-law's birth certificate. The procedure was completed in just a few minutes. The speed and the friendly attitude of the staff handling the paperwork surprised her. From someone who was hesitant about technology, she has gradually become accustomed to submitting documents online and is increasingly confident in the people-oriented approach of the local government.
According to Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Lien, Chairwoman of the Tay Nam Ward People's Committee, to increase convenience for residents, the ward has implemented a "No Appointment Day" model every Thursday. Two volunteers are regularly assigned to assist residents with procedures both in person and online through the National Public Service Portal.
A key feature of this model is the same-day processing of 16 administrative procedures under its jurisdiction, regardless of geographical boundaries. This makes the process more transparent, shortens processing times, and significantly reduces travel for citizens. This is the clearest indicator of an administration that is gradually shifting from "management" to "service."
Looking back over half a century, from the early days of taking over the city with its rudimentary administrative apparatus, Ho Chi Minh City's administrative agencies now possess state-of-the-art technology, among the best in the country. However, as many dedicated officials share: no matter how sophisticated the system, no matter how intelligent the robots, if they lack the compassionate hearts and sense of responsibility of the people implementing them, the effectiveness will still be difficult to achieve.
By 2026, Ho Chi Minh City will integrate all of its public service portals into the national public service system, creating a seamless "digital highway." At public administrative service centers, "Digital Citizen Stations," self-service kiosks, and guidance robots have gradually become familiar to citizens and businesses contacting them for work; helping to reduce the workload for civil servants and increase the accuracy of data processing.
In addition, behind the high success rates of online application processing or the thousands of non-geographical procedures, there are always the volunteers in blue uniforms and civil registry officials willing to work overtime to assist small business owners with tax payments or to promptly process paperwork for citizens.
The results of each administrative reform indicator in Ho Chi Minh City clearly demonstrate the efforts of a city that aspires to assert its global stature while still maintaining a strong connection to its roots. The city has determined that digital transformation is not about replacing people with machines, but about "liberating" people from cumbersome procedures so they have more time to listen to and understand each other better.
Administrative reform is the central driver of growth.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued the 2026 administrative reform plan, focusing on the synchronized implementation of 92 specific tasks across all six areas. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Internal Affairs, in response to new development requirements, Ho Chi Minh City recognizes that administrative reform is no longer a standalone task but a central driving force for sustainable growth and development.
Administrative reform, linked to the development of digital government, is a central and continuous task, focusing on citizens and businesses, and using satisfaction levels as a measure of service quality. By 2026, Ho Chi Minh City aims to have its administrative reform-related indicators among the top 10 localities nationwide. The satisfaction level of citizens and businesses is targeted at 96% or higher.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chinh-quyen-gan-dan-vi-dan-phuc-vu-post851213.html
