Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visits the public administrative service centre in Bát Mọt Commune, Thanh Hóa Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

THANH HÓA — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Tuesday inspected the settlement of administrative procedures at the public administrative service centre and reviewed the operation of the two-tier local administration model in the border commune of Bát Mọt in the north central province of Thanh Hóa.

Following the administrative boundary adjustment, Thanh Hóa now has 166 communes and wards, including 16 land border communes. The province has standardised 2,272 administrative procedures, all of which have been fully integrated into the National Public Service Portal. Among these, 965 are fully online public services and 1,266 are partially online.

After more than three months of operation, the two-tier local administration model has proved effective in improving public services. The newly restructured communes and wards have quickly stabilised their organisational structures and adopted a people-centred working approach.

The professionalism and service attitude of public officials have also improved. Despite challenges caused by consecutive storms, commune-level public administrative service centres across Thanh Hóa have promptly addressed manpower shortages and strengthened infrastructure and IT systems to better serve citizens.

Bát Mọt, a mountainous border commune in Thanh Hóa, shares a 17km borderline with Laos. It is the largest commune in the province, covering 205.7sq.km, with a population of 4,052 people, of whom more than 96 per cent are Thai ethnic minorities.

Reports from local officials and residents showed that with just four staff members, the commune’s public administrative service centre has processed 332 applications without being overloaded. Many residents have already integrated personal documents into the VNeID app but remain unfamiliar with completing administrative procedures online. Civil servants have been directly assisting and guiding local people.

During his field inspection, PM Chính noted the people’s satisfaction and trust in local authorities, emphasising that the two-tier administration model in Bát Mọt and Thanh Hóa has been operating effectively, providing transparent, streamlined services and facilitating easier access to public services.

The PM urged Bát Mọt’s public administrative service centre and others across Thanh Hóa to continue integrating and connecting data, promote digital literacy among citizens, and encourage the use of online public services to save time and reduce compliance costs, especially in remote and mountainous areas. He also stressed the need to improve digital infrastructure and address limited internet and electricity access in some areas.

PM Chính called for flexible and appropriate arrangement of civil servants based on each locality’s needs, ensuring timely and efficient services for both people and businesses.

The government leader also requested local authorities to proactively address existing challenges and report issues beyond their jurisdiction to higher agencies for timely solutions, ensuring the best possible service delivery to the people. — VNA/VNS