In early February, Nguyen Van Binh, originating from Thanh Hoa Province and now residing in District 12 of HCMC, required a certificate of marital status to augment his asset documentation. Upon contacting his Ward People’s Committee (his place of temporary residence), he was informed that, due to the pre-marital asset formation and marriage registration in his permanent residence, the certificate must be obtained from Thanh Hoa Province.
Instead of having to travel to his hometown for a certificate, Binh used the online administrative procedure (AP) system. Logging into the National Public Service Portal with VNeID, his details auto-filled, simplifying the process. He selected necessary options, uploaded documents, and chose postal delivery. Within three days, he received confirmation and fee instructions. Seven days later, the certificate arrived.
“Online APs are straightforward,” Binh said. “I completed it from HCMC with my phone. The portal and postal delivery saved time and money.”
Alongside the push for end-to-end online AP processing, HCMC is developing and deploying applications to facilitate bidirectional communication between the government and its citizens. Notably, the HCMC Digital Citizen app provides citizens with rapid, authoritative access to government information, while also enabling them to submit online feedback and petitions, track their processing, and view published results.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, a resident of District 1, recounted his experience using the app to obtain planning information for a property he intended to purchase. Instructed by the one-stop service of the District 1 People’s Committee, he found the app to be efficient and user-friendly for retrieving the necessary data.
Similarly, Nguyen Thi Phuong from Binh Thanh District, upon guidance from her child, utilized the app to report illegal waste dumping. Within two hours, local officials conducted an on-site inspection, addressed the issue, and posted the resolution on the app.
According to the HCMC Digital Transformation Center, this app is being strategically developed to serve as a unified platform integrating all essential municipal services, providing citizens with a seamless, accessible experience anytime, anywhere.
Ongoing efforts are focused on integrating and refining functionalities within the HCMC Digital Citizen app, while collaborating with relevant agencies to deliver secure, convenient services that enhance citizen-government interaction, ultimately improving public and business service delivery.
As part of its 2025 administrative reform plan, the HCMC People’s Committee aims to achieve 75 percent of APs meeting partial and full online public service standards, 80 percent digitization of dossier components, and 100 percent electronic issuance of AP resolution results.
Furthermore, all AP processing progress and outcomes must be publicly accessible on unit websites and the AP Resolution Information System of the city.
Director Vo Thi Trung Trinh of the HCMC Digital Transformation Center stated that, in conjunction with the HCMC Digital Citizen app, the center is finalizing digital platforms and related software to support municipal governance and operations. Specifically, the AP processing information system is being optimized to streamline AP processing for citizens and businesses.
In addition, the center anticipates launching a platform supporting neighborhood and hamlet management (neighborhood/hamlet app) in the second quarter of 2025, providing a digital environment to foster closer citizen-grassroots government engagement.
According to the HCMC People’s Committee, alongside app deployment, numerous initiatives are underway to digitize public administration, enabling AP resolution independent of administrative boundaries.
In recent conferences, leaders of the HCMC People’s Committee have emphasized the importance of departmental and local leaders’ accountability in AP reform and resolution. They have also called for the modernization of one-stop and inter-connected one-stop mechanisms, and the consolidation of one-stop services at all levels before the official launch of the HCMC Public Administration Service Center.
Recently, the Government Office released the Prime Minister’s conclusions from the meeting reviewing the National Committee on Digital Transformation and Project 06 activities in 2024, outlining key orientations and tasks for 2025.
The Prime Minister mandated a shift from a “request-grant” to a “proactive-service” paradigm for public service delivery, the elimination of redundant APs, and the enhancement of comprehensive online public services towards personalized, boundary-agnostic digital services. By June 30, all government officials must conduct work processes and utilize digital signatures in a networked environment.
