Hanoi’s authorities and civil servants have resorted to a flexible operating model to ensure the smooth handling of administrative processes 20 days after suspending in-person submission of applications.

A local resident at the one-stop shop of Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District. Photo: The Hanoi Times

In the city's Finance Department, among more than 200 staff, only 30 civil servants are assigned to be on duty in the main office every day. The rest are working alternately at headquarters and from home. In particular, at the one-stop shop, only one responsible person and one official are on duty on a daily basis. 

Deputy Chief of the Office of the Hanoi Department of Finance Nguyen Trung Dung said: “The number of documents required to be handled on-site at the department is still very small, mainly from dispatches. The work has been smoothly carried out during the social distancing period.”

Following the city's regulations, tax offices only receive tax documents online or by postal service.

“Until now, 100% of businesses in the district have filed tax declarations and paid taxes online. All documents submitted online have been received and processed on time. If people have to submit the documents in-person, they have to comply with the regulations on pandemic prevention and control,” a tax official who declined to release her name, told The Hanoi Times.

All districts, departments, and branches in the city have also worked out plans to maintain operation under the social distancing rules so as to timely process people and businesses’ applications.

In compliance with the instruction of limiting direct contact and temporarily halting citizens' reception at the offices, the People's Committee of Hai Ba Trung District has informed the citizens of the suspension of in-person submission of applications for the time being. Administrative processes are now handled online (mainly judicial matters) via an e-public portal, according to Deputy Chief of Office of Hai Ba Trung District People's Committee Tran Tuan Anh.

Mac Thu Trang, a civil servant in charge of labour, invalids and social affairs at the one-stop-shop section in Hai Ba Trung District explained, if citizens still show up at the public offices, which are closed, they can call the civil servant’s number published at the section.  

Tran Thang living at Bach Mai Ward told The Hanoi Times he found that solving administrative processes over the internet during social distancing days is a reasonable and safe solution for people.

All the 14 public servants of the People's Committee of Kim Ma Ward, are working alternately from and at the office. In particular, they set a backup office in case the main office is infected, Nguyen Thi Vuong, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Kim Ma Ward said.

Sharing his experience about how to work during social distancing, Deputy Chief of Office of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment Le Tuan Linh said the most important thing to ensure smooth work-from-home is a stable network followed by the database and the level of information technology application of the agency.

In the face of the complicated Covid-19 pandemic, technology has been applied aggressively to ensure a stable workflow. Especially, the Department of Construction has developed the project “Building an interoperable process of construction permit granting procedures at the district level in connection with planning and cadastral database”.   

Under the social distancing rules, Hanoi public agencies have been creative in keeping providing services to the people and ensuring safety.