Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, recently announced its target to have 100% of administrative procedures provided online on the city public service portal this year. Online public services in Vietnam are classified into four levels, depending on the tasks that can be performed digitally. The first level comprises public services that provide online access to all information regarding the service, including procedures, required papers, deadlines, fees, and service charges. The second level allows users to download the required forms to be printed and filled in later. The third level allows applicants to fill and submit forms online, however, they still have to pay fees at the relevant government bodies. Service payments can be settled online at the fourth level.
According to a press release, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City issued a document on the provision of online public services in the city. Accordingly, it targets having all administrative procedures offered online at levels 3 and 4 on the municipal public service portal and 50% of online public services integrated into the national public service portal this year. For this, the city ordered local state agencies to review, evaluate, and propose a list of administrative procedures eligible to provide online at levels 3 and 4. This list will be submitted to the city’s chairman for approval by 30 August.
The office of the HCM City People’s Committee is assigned to finalise the plan to provide online public services in the city this year. The office is also responsible for setting up the management board of the project to evaluate the operation of the city’s public service portal and the electronic one-stop information system associated with the settlement of administrative procedures. It will also organise bidding for this project by the end of the first quarter of 2022, with assistance from the local Department of Information and Technology.
In March, the city approved a plan to apply IT in state management, digital government development, and cybersecurity maintenance for 2021-2025. The main targets were:
- Popular level-3 and level-4 online public services related to citizens and businesses to be integrated into the National Public Service Portal
- 50% of level-3 and level-4 documents for public services to be handled online
- 80% of administrative procedures must meet the requirements for carrying out online level-3 and level-4 public services
- 90%, 80%, and 60% of documents in provincial-level, district-level (including Thu Duc City), and ward-level respectively to be handled online
Ho Chi Minh City is among the top five localities in Vietnam regarding e-government and in the top three of IT implementation and cybersecurity. In May, OpenGov Asia had reported that the chairman of the city People’s Committee said the city would focus on the research and development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications to become a smart city over the next few years. To achieve this, a database of all sectors, ranging from housing, transport, and environment to healthcare, will be created to share data with all of the city’s administrative departments. This will help social organisations, businesses, and residents have better access to public information and services online through mobile devices and other means. The city will also focus on developing emerging technologies and improving human resources by using AI in education and training and enhancing academic connections with foreign technology professionals.