Through digital transformation, Hanoi should ensure convenient access to public administration-related services for residents, individuals from other provinces visiting Hanoi, and international visitors.

Delegates visit a digital transformation demonstration at the event. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Public Security, made his request to Hanoi authorities at a conference to review the city's administrative reform and digital transformation on July 17, highlighting the city's positive results in solving 44 out of 65 difficult problems in a short period.

Ngoc urged Hanoi and relevant ministries to solve the existing 11 groups of difficult problems and reiterated that the Ministry of Public Security will continue to support the city in this regard.

He also highlighted the issues of legal framework, infrastructure, data, human resources, and technology, stressing that Hanoi must be proactive and flexible in dealing with these issues.

Significant efforts to improve

According to the Municipal People's Committee report, Hanoi was one of the first localities to use the national population database to manage administrative procedures.

Specifically, Hanoi's position in the provincial digital transformation index increased by 16 places compared to 2021, ranking 24th out of 63 provinces/cities, according to the 2022 results. A strong improvement since the capital's administrative boundary expansion 15 years ago. 

In the first six months of 2023, the Municipal People's Committee issued 30 decisions to announce and streamline administrative procedures, along with approving 857 internal procedures for their management.

In the implementation of Project 06 [on "Improving the application of population, identification and authentication data for national digital transformation in 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030"], Hanoi has successfully activated over 4.2 million electronic identification accounts out of a total of 6.2 million, achieving a rate of 67.8%.

Nguyen Viet Hung, the Director of the Hanoi Department of Information and Communication, stated that district and commune leaders have acknowledged the significance of digital transformation and have taken a proactive approach in suggesting and implementing digital transformation initiatives.

He added that the authorities would continue to operate and use the electronic information portals to meet the information needs of citizens and enterprises as required.

Electronic tax filing has been extensively adopted, with 99.5% of operating enterprises opting for online tax filing and over 99% making electronic tax payments. Furthermore, all tax refund documents are processed electronically, achieving a 100% electronic processing rate.

The city has issued 12,188 digital signatures to officials and civil servants. Moreover, it is connected to the National Document Interoperability Axis, enabling the sending and receiving of electronic documents between city-level agencies and those at the ministerial level.

So far, about 10,000 free digital signatures have been issued to Hanoi citizens for online public services.

A Hanoi resident registers for digital signature in Gia Lam District. Photo: Hoang Quyet/ The Hanoi Times

In terms of data development, the City Data Portal and the city's Integrated Data Sharing Platform will soon be operational for units to integrate and share data among Government agencies.

Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, expressed his hope that with high determination, the city will make a strong breakthrough in implementing administrative reform, digital transformation, and the execution of Project No. 6.

He stressed that the departments and sectors will focus on reviewing, reducing, and simplifying regulations and administrative procedures related to investment, production, business activities, and people's lives.

To enhance convenience for citizens and businesses, the city will continue its efforts to improve the effectiveness of online public services. It will also actively promote the utilization of the national population database in conjunction with national and specialized databases. Additionally, the city will expedite the development of a comprehensive database system to facilitate data connectivity and sharing with ministries and sectors. Strengthening the security of information systems, databases, and personal data protection will be a priority.

By 2025, Hanoi has set its sights on becoming a smart and modern city, laying the groundwork for rapid, efficient, and sustainable economic growth. Simultaneously, the city aims to be at the forefront of administrative reform, positioning itself as one of the leading localities in the country in this aspect.