Lai Chau: Building digital government in the extremely disadvantaged commune of Tua Sin Chai

Tua Sin Chai is making efforts to keep up with digital transformation, gradually building a friendly, open, and transparent government model to serve people more effectively.

In the process of building a modern and friendly administration, digital transformation is becoming a key task to serve people and businesses quickly, transparently and effectively.

In the extremely disadvantaged mountainous commune of Tua Sin Chai in Lai Chau province, the local government has been making efforts to realize a digital government model that is suitable to actual conditions.

Building a friendly and modern administration

Tua Sin Chai was established from the merger of 3 old communes: Tua Sin Chai, Lang Mo, Ta Ngao (old Sin Ho district).

After merging and implementing the 2-level local government model, with the synchronous participation from the political system to community digital technology groups, digital transformation has gradually appeared in people's lives.

Previously, people coming to carry out administrative procedures in Tua Sin Chai commune encountered many difficulties. However, in recent years, especially since the Tua Sin Chai Commune Public Administration Service Center officially came into operation, carrying out administrative procedures has become more convenient.

With synchronous investment in facilities, modern equipment and machinery and a team of friendly and professional civil servants, this place has quickly become a familiar and close address for the people.

“Taking people as the center of service” is not only a slogan but has become the consistent motto of the communal government.

Procedures such as birth registration, certificate issuance, document authentication, job application... are all received and processed according to clear, public, transparent procedures and waiting times are increasingly shortened.

Coming to the Commune Public Administration Service Center to apply for a job in Dien Bien province, Mr. Lau A Dong (Ha Vu Chu village) was very satisfied with the service spirit of the commune's officials and civil servants. According to Mr. Dong, the officials who received his application were attentive, enthusiastic and friendly. His application was processed quickly.

The procedures for receiving, processing, and returning results are all public and quick with the enthusiastic support of the staff at the Commune Public Administration Service Center. Mr. Ca Van Nghien (San Sua Ho village) shared that before, when we went to the commune to do administrative procedures, it was very cumbersome. Now, when I come to work, the commune officials give me enthusiastic and thoughtful guidance and the procedures are done quickly and conveniently.

From receiving to processing and returning results, the administrative procedure settlement process in Tua Sin Chai commune is now being gradually digitized. People can choose to submit their applications directly at the center, or send them online via smartphone or computer with internet connection.

All documents after being received are immediately transferred to specialized departments on the system, helping to shorten processing time, avoiding waiting and traveling many times as before.

Staff of the Phong Tho Commune Public Administration Service Center (Lai Chau Province) guide people to complete administrative procedures. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The digitization of procedures also contributes to the transparency of the process, reduces costs for people and creates conditions for officials and civil servants to work more scientifically and effectively. These clear benefits are gradually strengthening the trust of highland people in local authorities.

Tua Sin Chai is a mountainous commune. Here, many villages have difficult transportation and not all residents have smartphones or electronic identification accounts.

Realizing that, the commune government has been flexible in maintaining the reception of documents directly through the province's public service system to ensure that all people, regardless of their conditions, are served promptly and in accordance with regulations. This is how Tua Sin Chai is concretizing the goal of "Digital transformation for the people, leaving no one behind".

Mr. Vang A Lau, Deputy Director of the Tua Sin Chai Commune Public Administration Service Center, said that since the center started operating, it has posted administrative procedures according to its authority; at the same time, it has assigned officers and civil servants in charge of each field to promptly handle documents.

Most of the applications are done electronically. However, some applications cannot be received online because people do not use smartphones or do not have a VNeID account. In these cases, the receiving unit will receive the application directly to return the results to the people in a timely manner.

Efforts for digital transformation for the entire population

In Den Thanh village (Tua Sin Chai commune), people have begun to form a new habit, which is using the VNeID application to carry out administrative procedures.

With the dedicated guidance of the community digital technology team, many villagers who were used to manual paperwork can now complete procedures quickly and easily on their phones.

A “small revolution” is quietly taking place in every family, contributing to shortening the gap between highland people and modern public services.

Mr. Tan Xa Xoang (a resident of Den Thang village) excitedly said that he was guided by a member of the community digital technology team to install VNeID on his phone to do administrative procedures. Operations through the digital environment are much more convenient and save time.

Many people livestream selling peach blossoms via social media platforms right at the Tet flower market in Lai Chau city. (Photo: Nguyen Oanh/VNA)

For many people in Tua Sin Chai, especially the older generation, technology used to be a distant concept.

In the past, the phone was simply used for listening and calling, a means of communication with children working far away. Now, with the dedicated guidance of members of the community digital technology group, the phones have become a tool for people to access public services, from confirming residence, submitting documents to looking up procedures.

Updating personal documents on the VNeID application not only helps save travel time and reduce costs, but also creates conditions for people in the highlands to enjoy policies more fully, fairly and transparently.

Digital transformation, which seemed to only exist in urban areas, has now knocked on the doors of every house in the highlands, quietly changing perceptions and habits and opening a new journey, a digital journey for the people.

Mrs. Phung My Chan (Nhieu Sang village) used to only know the phone as a communication tool, now she knows how to read newspapers, watch news, make video calls to her children and grandchildren; especially storing personal documents on digital applications, compact, convenient, without fear of loss.

Mrs. Chan said that her children and grandchildren taught her how to use a smartphone to update domestic and international news. Thanks to her hard work, she has learned how to install and integrate personal documents. Thanks to that, now wherever she goes, she only needs to bring her phone, which is very convenient.

The smartphone, once a strange thing for the people of Tua Sin Chai highlands, has now become a “digital key” that opens the door to knowledge, connecting with the government, public services and the world.

To achieve this result, the community digital technology team played a significant role. They are union members, youth, women's union members, farmers... who volunteered to become "technology bridges", bringing digital transformation to every household and village. They went from house to house, patiently guiding each operation, from creating an identity account, installing the VNeID application to integrating personal documents.

For members of the community digital technology team, each citizen knowing how to use the phone to do administrative procedures is a step forward, not only in accessing public services but also in the journey to the future.

Mr. Thao Ha Pao (Nam Kham village, Tua Sin Chai commune) shared that as a member of the community digital technology team, he and everyone regularly go to each village and each household to learn, support people in installing, instructing on how to use and integrating personal documents on the VNeID application to facilitate the settlement of administrative procedures.

As soon as Tua Sin Chai was officially established on the basis of merger, the issues of infrastructure, human resources and information technology were put first by the commune.

Taking advantage of the old headquarters, the local government quickly rearranged the workplace and assigned staff appropriately to both save costs and maintain stable operations.

Along with that, the commune invested in internet network system, computer equipment, and software for public administration to ensure that officials and civil servants operate effectively according to the 2-level local government model.

According to Chairman of Tua Sin Chai Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Chinh, from July 1, 2025, the locality has focused on arranging infrastructure and offices of 3 old communes, ensuring adequate facilities for officials and civil servants to perform their duties.

At the same time, the commune focuses on investing in network systems, arranging machinery and equipment to ensure that staff and civil servants work according to regulations.

Up to now, the construction and implementation of e-government according to the basic 2-level local government model has brought about positive effects in handling and resolving tasks directly related to people and organizations when they come to transact at the People's Committee of the commune.

Despite many difficulties, Tua Sin Chai is making efforts to keep up with digital transformation, gradually building a friendly, open, and transparent government model to serve the people more effectively.

This is concrete evidence that digital transformation can completely enter community life if there is consensus among the people and determination from local authorities./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/lai-chau-xay-dung-chinh-quyen-so-o-xa-dac-biet-kho-khan-tua-sin-chai-post1059645.vnp