General To Lam, minister of Public Security, said at a National Assembly (NA) sitting Wednesday that his ministry can issue 50 million ID cards for citizens over 14 years old in one year's time, in a move to do away with the household booklets, local media reported.

Minister of Public Security To Lam. Photo: Hoang Ha

Some 16 million identification numbers have been issued, Lam said, adding that there are still about 80 million citizens without ID numbers, of them 30 million are under 14 years old.

The police chief assured that the issuance of ID numbers would be done in a year with the support of the government, so that the Law on Residence would duly take effect on July 1, 2021.

In an interview last year, Minister To Lam said that the amended Law on Residence will materialize the provisions of the 2013 Constitution on human rights and citizens' freedom of residence.

It will be a move to reduce administrative burden and paperwork in line with administrative reforms. It also helps save time and money for the authorities and the people, as well as contributes to accelerating international integration, Lam said.

With the abolition of the household registration booklet, many time-consuming administrative procedures will be removed, including formalities to change persons named in the book, obtain a new book when changing houses, quit permanent residence or extend temporary residence.

The procedures to declare temporary residence to the commune-level police will also be abolished. Papers proving family relationship or birth certificates to register permanent residence for children will not be needed either.

To prepare for this, the Ministry of Public Security is striving to complete gathering personal information of all citizens by 2020.

Minister To Lam stressed removing household registration booklets was merely streamlining procedures as citizen residence control measures are still in place through more sophisticated means. He noted residents still have to carry out procedures related to residence management but with fewer formalities.