National conference on online public services held

A hybrid national conference on improving the efficiency of providing and using online public services was held on August 31 in central Da Nang city, under the chair of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for Digital Transformation.

At the conference, which connected with central ministries and agencies, as well as 63 cities and provinces nationwide,  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for robust digital transformation based on two key pillars of internal administrative procedures and public services for citizens and businesses.

He  pointed out the importance of legalization, digitization and automation as key breakthroughs, with the goal of achieving four no's, including no paperwork, no cash, no contact unless legally required, and no one left behind.

The PM said that it is essential to enhance decentralization and delegation of authority in tandem with resource allocation, improve execution capacity, clearly define responsibilities of each individual and sector, and strengthen monitoring and inspection.

He called for increased transparency, simplified administrative procedures, and the integration, connection and sharing of data.

According to the Government leader, other priorities include increasing investment in digital infrastructure, promoting dialogue to settle emerging issues, enforcing discipline and order to eliminate negative practices, enhancing digital knowledge and skills, and developing a digital workforce to meet new challenges.

In order to successfully achieve the national digital transformation goals, develop a digital government, and improve the efficiency of online public services, the PM asked ministries, agencies, and localities to make a profound shift in how they serve citizens, moving from a "passive" to a "proactive" approach based on data.

At the PM’s request,  by 2025, all administrative procedures must be fully digitized, with at least 80% of administrative papers processed online entirely. These goals are in line with Project 06, which outlines the provision of all 53 essential public services.

He noted that it is a must to continue improving the quality of Public Administrative Service Centers and one-stop-shop units at all levels, transforming them into digital hubs that provide administrative boundary-free public services in support of citizens and businesses, especially vulnerable groups.

Up to now, all state agencies have launched a specialized data transmission network down to the commune level to share data. National databases for the development of an e-government and a digital government have been effectively utilized. All ministries, agencies and localities have been equipped with information systems to handle administrative procedures, and at the national level, a National Public Service Portal is in place.

Nationwide, 82.2% of households use broadband fiber-optic internet, and 84% of mobile phone subscribers use smart phones. There are 55.25 million activated VNeID electronic identification accounts, covering nearly 73% of the total.

Domestically, the public satisfaction level regarding the settlement of administrative procedures increased from 90% in 2022 to 93% in August 2024. Globally, Vietnam's online public services ranked 76th out of 193 countries, up five places compared to 2020, while open data ranked 87th out of 193, up 10 places from 2020.

Over the past four years since 2021, nearly 3,000 business regulations have been cut or simplified, around 700 administrative procedures have been decentralized to local authorities, and an additional 1,800 online public services have been provided. This brings the total to 4,400 available on the National Public Service Portal, accounting for 70% of all administrative procedures.