The HCM City People’s Committee has directed government departments and the administrations of all 24 districts to increase the public services available online to limit the number of people who have to visit government offices amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

HCM City is seeking to offer more public services online to limit the number of people
visiting government offices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: sggp.org.vn)

It instructed heads of departments and People's Committees in districts to strengthen guidance for individuals and organisations in using online public services on the national public service portal at https://dichvucong.gov.vn and the city congress’s service public portals at https://dvc.hochiminhcity.gov.vn and https://dichvucong.hochiminhcity.gov.vn  and other online public service pages of departments and districts.

All authorities must ensure there are enough staff to reply to correspondence via email, text message, telephone, and hotline, the committee said.

They must ensure timely processing of administrative procedures and related units must create favourable conditions for individuals and organisations to use online public services, it said.

In many localities and offices, most applications are processed online. In District 1 nearly 2,200 out of 2,295 administrative procedures, or 96%, are done online now against less than 70% last year.

Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice chairman of the People’s Committee directed the Department of Finance to accelerate the study of electronic payment solutions to make it convenient for people using public services.