The public administrative service center in Bach Mai ward serves between 200 and 250 residents daily. (Photo: VOV)

Under the new system, several intermediary administrative steps have been removed, allowing citizens and businesses to complete public services more efficiently. People can now submit and receive results of administrative procedures at any relevant office, regardless of their place of residence or the location of the transaction.

“With new system, administrative procedures are simpler and more convenient,” said one resident.

Another resident described her recent experience at a government office: “The staff were very enthusiastic and gave me detailed instructions. I felt secure, and everything was quick and didn’t take much time.”

A third said: “It’s more convenient now. Before, some procedures had to be handled at the district level. Now, the commune can handle procedures that used to be done  at the district level. We’re really excited about this new model.”

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a meeting reviewing the first month of operation of the two-tier local government system.(Photo: VOV)

At a recent conference in Hanoi to review the restructuring of local government units, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged both the initial progress and the remaining challenges. 

“After one month of implementation, the operation of the two-tier local administration system is stable and smooth. We’ve shifted from a management mindset to a mindset of service and facilitation. There are still psychological and technical challenges, but we’ve made efforts, and so far it’s been basically smooth. Of course, difficulties remain, and we must keep working hard to resolve them in a timely and effective way, in a spirit of ‘all for the nation, all for the people’,” the Prime Minister said.