Ho Chi Minh City: Ward level needs more human resources and infrastructure

Most of the 168 communes, wards and special economic zones in Ho Chi Minh City have been operating stably, with most administrative procedures being handled on time. However, it is necessary to continue to improve the organization, personnel and infrastructure.

At the People's Committee of An Khanh Ward, a robot stands right in the main hall, acting as an electronic administrative assistant. Photo: Ha Tuan

People feel comfortable when going to government agencies

In the past, many people were afraid to go to government offices. Now, that feeling of tension has been replaced by comfort, even excitement. Ms. Tran Thi My Dung (Sai Gon Ward) said that she feels very secure when doing administrative procedures at the Ward People's Committee.

At the An Khanh Ward Public Administration Service Center, the first impression is two robots in the main lobby acting as electronic assistants, supporting the issuance of queue numbers, process consulting, QR code scanning, information lookup and multilingual communication. The application of this technology not only creates friendliness for people but also helps reduce the workload for officials, promoting the digital transformation process.

People come to do administrative procedures at the An Khanh Ward Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Ha Tuan

The center has 9 document reception counters, 2 online submission guidance desks, along with a modern computer system and strong internet connection, creating maximum convenience for people to come and do administrative procedures.

Ms. Ho Thi Tuoi (66 years old, An Khanh ward) took less than 10 minutes to complete the death certificate procedure for her husband. “Everything was quick, modern, the staff was friendly and enthusiastic,” Ms. Tuoi shared.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quynh, Vice Chairman of An Khanh Ward People's Committee, the center has received more than 1,000 people after more than two weeks of operation. In addition to solid expertise, the staff also have communication skills, even know foreign languages to better support people.

In Cat Lai ward, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dat (75 years old) also commented that the time to process documents was much faster than before.

Leaders of Local Department 3, Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission surveyed the operation of the two-level local government model at Cat Lai Ward People's Committee. Photo: Nguyen Le

Need to continue to improve the apparatus and organization

Chairman of Cat Lai Ward People's Committee Vo Tan Quan said that after more than two weeks of officially operating the two-level local government model, 100% of administrative procedures have been resolved on time. However, the system is now showing signs of overload.

With more than 60 officials and civil servants, while the area is large, nearly 2,000 hectares and the population is about 68,000 people after the merger, accessing and processing documents is increasingly difficult.

Mr. Vo Tan Quan said that the locality will study and propose to competent authorities to increase decentralization for the grassroots public administrative service center, at the same time, arrange more personnel and invest in appropriate facilities to meet the growing needs of people and businesses.

People come to do administrative procedures at the Cat Lai Ward Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Nguyen Le

Currently, the functions, tasks, powers as well as the regulations on organization and operation of the grassroots public administrative service center have not been specifically guided. According to Mr. Huynh Quoc Thai, Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Phu Dinh Ward, the current "one-stop" system does not automatically classify records according to the authority of specialized departments and offices, causing officials and civil servants to waste time in searching, classifying and processing.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Duong, Chairman of Binh Tay Ward People's Committee, the existing infrastructure and equipment cannot meet the requirements of processing a large volume of documents in a short time. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Duong proposed to expand the office and invest in a new computer system to support more effective online document processing.

Although there are still many unresolved problems, local authorities at the grassroots level are still making efforts to be proactive, flexible and creative in processing records and serving people and businesses.

View of public service at Cat Lai Ward Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Nguyen Le

Chairman of Cat Lai Ward People's Committee Vo Tan Quan affirmed that the ward's management viewpoint is that all documents submitted by people must be received and processed. For documents beyond the authority, the ward will proactively coordinate to resolve. The leaders of the ward People's Committee not only direct but also directly work with officials and civil servants to process the documents, in order to ensure the best service for the people.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-cap-phuong-can-them-nhan-luc-va-ha-tang-709516.html