The headquarters of Ka Dao Ward People’s Committee has no longer been crowded as most of the administrative procedures are performed online. (Photo: VOV)

Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, has about 25,000 people who live in 96 residential groups and 8 residential clusters. Since the ward applied digitization and implemented smart urban management, the headquarters of the Ward People’s Committee has no longer been crowded with people waiting for making administrative procedures or reporting violations of urban order. The number of people coming to the administrative agency has reduced by half.

At present Da Kao ward processes 50 administrative procedures online at level 3/4 and 4/4. The Chairman of the Communal People’s Committee and officials join Zalo residential chat groups. As a result, all guidelines and policy changes are informed to the people quickly, promptly, and effectively while the people can immediately report on social issues to the local authorities.

Do Huu Cuong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Da Kao Ward, said: “All procedures, documents, and communication activities are performed on digital platforms including websites, Zalo groups, community social networking platforms, and digital applications. Interaction between the government and the people in the digital environment is fast.”

Reports of violations of law and order have been promptly delivered to and handled by the ward’s leaders, officials, and police officers. Mr. Hung said: “I find this working method very fast, much faster than before. The people are happy and satisfied. It creates two-way benefits. People enjoy convenient services and timely intervention from the authorities, and at the same time, the authorities can handle the problems quickly and promptly.”

Police officers help people activate their digital ID accounts. (Photo: VOV)

Other localities in Ho Chi Minh City have also used the database to address people’s requests and implemented online public services at levels 3 and 4. The application of technology and the formation of residential groups on the Zalo app have improved the management of the local administration and increased their interaction with the people.

Ho Chi Minh City has issued a Database Governance Strategy to 2025 with a vision to 2030. The city has been taking the lead in institutional reform and implementing a digital administration.

It has set up rules to handle administrative procedures and documents at all state agencies and put into operation more than 1,500 online public services, bringing online nearly 98% of the total administrative procedures. The city continues to fine tune and operate 5 management platforms which together with the monitoring system for administrative procedures, will provide a basic set of tools for the city leaders at all levels to administer people-elected agencies through technological systems and objective data.

Ho Chi Minh City has decided the theme of this year is to build a smart city and transform digitally.

The city has also set out 10 key tasks and solutions to accomplish its goals. Vo Thi Trung Trinh, Deputy Director of HCMC’s Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City, said: “The smart city development plan aims to provide the best service to the people where the people are placed at the center of administrative reform. The city has strengthened interaction channels between the people and the administration. The people can now interact and monitor the authority’s activities more effectively.”

With drastic policies in building a smart city associated with digital transformation, Ho Chi Minh City has been rising up in the ranking of the national digital transformation index.