The police listen and remove obstacles in administrative procedures.

On September 5, the direct dialogue conference on administrative procedures (AP) and handling of APs in 2025 organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department took place in a frank and open manner. More than 50 delegates representing organizations, businesses and city residents with practical problems related to APs had a direct dialogue with leaders of the professional departments of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department.

Resolving obstacles through specific situations.

A series of issues were raised by citizens and businesses at the conference. The questions focused heavily on administrative procedures directly related to people's lives, such as: residence registration, immigration, criminal record checks, vehicle registration, driver's license testing and issuance, personal identification, fire prevention and fighting procedures, etc.

Citizens handle administrative procedures at the Thạnh Mỹ Tây Ward Police Station, Ho Chi Minh City.

Among the issues receiving attention, the procedure for renewing driver's licenses is particularly noteworthy. Addressing this concern, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police, stated that the Ho Chi Minh City Police have established numerous renewal points throughout the city. Specifically, there are 168 points at the commune, ward, and special zone police stations, and 5 points at the Traffic Police Department. Citizens can submit applications online or in person at these locations.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga noted that for cases where driver's licenses have expired, are lost, have inconsistent data, or are torn or faded, people need to go directly to the relevant renewal centers to complete the procedures. “If the license expires on the exact date printed on the license, people should submit their applications in person to receive assistance and avoid risks associated with online procedures. In particular, according to the new regulations, even if a driver's license expires by just one day, the theory test must be retaken to obtain a new license; it can no longer be extended for a month as before,” Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga emphasized.

Reporters from SGGP newspaper observed on September 5th at the Thanh My Tay Ward Police Station that people were constantly coming and going to handle administrative procedures. Even though it was almost lunchtime, the officers and soldiers there were still receiving and guiding people, ensuring no one had to leave without their requests being processed. According to the leader of the Thanh My Tay Ward Police Station, since September 1st, the ward-level police have been able to receive and process up to 35 types of online administrative procedures and public services, ranging from managing motor vehicles, issuing and renewing citizen identification cards, electronic identification accounts, to receiving applications for renewing and reissuing driver's licenses.

The biggest change is in the area of ​​vehicle registration. Previously, ward/commune police only had the authority to register motorcycles and cars with fewer than 7 seats; now, all matters related to automobiles have been transferred to the ward level. Similarly, the authority to issue citizen identification cards, which previously belonged to the district police, has also been transferred. The Thanh My Tay ward police now accepts applications from residents throughout the entire Binh Thanh district (formerly), not just within the ward's administrative boundaries. As a result, the volume of applications has increased significantly. On average, the Thanh My Tay ward police process over 400 applications daily, including approximately 200 residence registration applications, 250 citizen identification card applications, and 10-15 vehicle registration applications.

Boost trust through streamlined procedures.

At the conference, some accommodation owners expressed concern that although they had registered the temporary residence of foreign guests on time, the system had not yet verified the information. Colonel Nguyen Thanh Tu, Deputy Head of the Immigration Management Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Police, affirmed: “As long as the establishment declares the information fully and on time, that information is legally valid, and guests are still guaranteed their rights and can proceed with other procedures. Verification is the responsibility of the local police.” In case of system maintenance or malfunction, establishments can create a list of guests and report directly to the ward or commune police, then update the information when the system is functioning normally.

People also raised questions about the case of foreigners who came to Vietnam to work on a DN1 visa, and after 3 months legally married a Vietnamese citizen, what procedures they need to follow to continue staying. In response, Colonel Nguyen Thanh Tu stated that individuals in this situation are allowed to switch to a family visit visa (TT) without leaving the country. The application can be submitted to the Immigration Management Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Police or the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security , and a temporary residence permit for up to 3 years may be issued.

This card offers distinct advantages over visa exemption certificates, which only allow a maximum stay of 6 months per entry. Under current regulations, those legally married to Vietnamese citizens do not require a work permit. However, businesses employing such workers are still responsible for notifying the labor management agency.

Administrative centers are the first "gateway" for people to access public services, so it's inevitable that businesses and citizens will encounter difficulties and frustrations. Highly appreciating the dialogue, many delegates noted that instead of avoiding the issue, the Ho Chi Minh City Police chose to engage in direct dialogue with the people, listening frankly to resolve problems promptly.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, Deputy Head of the Staff Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Police, after implementing the two-tiered local government model, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has identified several difficulties and obstacles. Specifically, regarding legal issues, many legal documents, decrees, and circulars need to be amended and supplemented to suit practical realities. Furthermore, the merger of three localities and the consolidation of wards and communes require the synchronization of network infrastructure and data systems. This remains a sticking point that needs further improvement and refinement in the future.

Continue building a synchronized and modern "one-stop shop" model.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has publicly released 190 administrative procedures under its jurisdiction on the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department's electronic portal. In the past eight months, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has received over 9.5 million administrative procedure applications, of which 8.5 million were processed online, accounting for nearly 90%. Notably, 1,000 surveys conducted by the Ministry of Public Security have shown that the satisfaction rate of citizens and organizations is expected to reach 100% by 2025.

Following the merger of communes and wards, some existing offices have limited space and facilities. Ho Chi Minh City has planned to establish the best service points for citizens and businesses to handle administrative procedures. There are 190 administrative procedures; however, with the removal of district-level police, some procedures have been transferred to professional departments and commune/ward/special zone police stations. In the coming time, the Ho Chi Minh City Police will continue to survey and advise on administrative procedures to be handled in locations closest to the people. It is expected that by the end of 2025, 168 communes, wards, and special zones will ensure a spacious and modern "one-stop" service model to best serve the people.

THU HOAI - CAM NUONG - CAM TUYET

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nganh-cong-an-lang-nghe-thao-go-vuong-mac-thu-tuc-hanh-chinh-post811816.html