Under Plan No. 86/KH-UBND issued on March 6, Hanoi has set out a roadmap to significantly advance administrative reform through digital transformation, with citizens and businesses placed at the centre of public service delivery.

The plan targets that at least 80% of administrative procedures under the city’s authority will be provided as fully online public services, while more than 95% of applications will be received and processed entirely online. By June 30, 2026, about 80% of administrative procedures are expected to be restructured based on integrated data systems, with the figure rising to 95% by the end of the year.

The initiative also aims to strengthen transparency and accountability in public administration, improve the efficiency of state management, and enhance oversight in the settlement of administrative procedures. These measures are expected to help prevent corruption and harassment while encouraging civil servants to adopt new working methods, improve digital skills, and increase responsibility in handling online applications.

A key component of the plan is the restructuring of administrative procedures in parallel with standardisation, digitalisation and innovation in processing workflows. By applying information technology and effectively linking and utilising shared databases at both city and national levels, Hanoi seeks to reduce the time and cost required for administrative procedures while limiting the need for travel and face-to-face contact. This, in turn, is expected to improve satisfaction among residents and businesses.

The municipal Public Administrative Service Centre has been tasked with developing a unified framework for restructuring administrative procedures and delivering online public services across the city.

Authorities will simultaneously review and assess all procedures currently offered as fully online public services to identify inconsistencies, overlaps or difficulties arising during implementation.

As of February 12, Hanoi had a total of 2,149 administrative procedures under the management of the municipal People’s Committee. Earlier, he city had restructured and applied reforms to 293 procedures, producing clear socio-economic benefits.

According to the Public Administrative Service Centre, compliance costs for these 293 procedures previously amounted to more than VND2.3 trillion (US$87.8 million) per year. After restructuring, the cost has dropped to about VND654 billion annually, representing savings of VND1.65 trillion, or 71.64%. The changes also reduce more than 15.1 million hours of travel each year for residents and businesses.

PM urges simplification of administrative procedures

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 22 signed an official dispatch, ordering ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of centrally-run cities and provinces to expedite the simplification of administrative procedures.