A local youth union member helps a resident complete administrative procedures at the Việt Yên Ward Public Administrative Service Centre in Bắc Ninh Province. — Photos courtesy of Bắc Ninh Province

BẮC NINH — After more than five months of operating the two-tier local government model, Bắc Ninh Province has recorded initial positive results in meeting the administrative procedure needs of citizens and businesses.

The province currently ranks first among all 34 cities and provinces on a national index measuring direction, administration and service quality in handling administrative procedures and public services in real time on the electronic platform. 

This standing underscores Bắc Ninh’s strong, substantive and sustainable efforts in administrative reform and digital transformation.

Since October, the People’s Committee of Kinh Bắc Ward, Bắc Ninh Province, in coordination with the provincial Public Administrative Service Centre, has launched a joint facility to process administrative procedures. 

Operating under the principle of 'One centre – multiple service points', this reception point shares the same database and case-management software system as the main headquarters. 

Applications are digitised immediately at the counter and electronically transferred to the relevant provincial departments for processing. Results can be collected either at the Kinh Bắc Ward reception point or at the headquarters of the provincial Public Administrative Service Centre in Bắc Giang Ward.

Civil servants process administrative procedures for locals at the Bắc Giang Ward Public Administrative Service Centre in Bắc Ninh Province.

Nguyễn Thị Dinh of Huisheng Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Thuận Thành 3 Industrial Park, a business that frequently conducts administrative procedures related to work permits for foreign employees, said she welcomed the establishment of the joint administrative facility in Kinh Bắc Ward. 

Dinh explained that after the merger of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang provinces, the public administrative centre is located in Bắc Giang Ward. This means her company’s staff had to travel more than 40km to complete paperwork, incurring significant time and travel costs. Traffic congestion during peak hours also added to their difficulties. 

Since mid-October, however, the additional reception point in Kinh Bắc Ward has made administrative procedures much more convenient for her business.

Nguyễn Ngọc Minh of Sytech Co., Ltd., which is based in the expanded Tiên Sơn Industrial Park, said he was impressed by the professionalism and dedication of administrative staff while completing adjustment procedures for a project involving foreign investment.

He was guided to the reception point for the Bắc Ninh Industrial Zones Authority, where he completed the submission in just five minutes. The results were returned after seven working days. 

Minh said that for many of the other administrative procedures he has had to complete, he was even notified of results ahead of schedule.

With the principle of taking the satisfaction of citizens and businesses as the measure of success, Bắc Ninh has recently stepped up administrative reform, streamlined procedures, applied technology, enhanced staff capacity and created a transparent and efficient administrative environment with businesses at the core. 

Vũ Thị Phương, an official from the Bắc Ninh Department of Home Affairs currently working at the Kinh Bắc Ward reception point, said that because this area hosts many industrial parks, the volume of applications for foreign work permits is high, with peak days seeing more than 100 online submissions. 

She consistently provides attentive support and guidance so that procedures can be completed quickly, without requiring people to make repeated visits.

The Kinh Bắc Ward Public Administrative Service Centre building in Bắc Ninh Province.

According to Deputy Director of the Bắc Ninh Public Administrative Service Centre Phan Văn Doanh, with the province’s strong industrial economy attracting many production enterprises, the 'One centre – multiple service points' model has delivered positive results. 

Since operations began on October 17, the reception point has received an average of 130 applications per day, mainly related to investment licenses, foreign labour permits, taxation and construction. 

Initial operations have produced tangible benefits, increasing satisfaction among citizens and businesses while easing pressure on the headquarters in Bắc Giang Ward.

In Đào Viên Ward, formed through the merger of Bắc Ninh’s former Đào Viên Commune, Ngọc Xá Commune and Phù Lương Ward, local leaders also prioritised the reception and handling of administrative procedures immediately after the administrative mergers. 

Đào Viên People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Duy Tú said that with the guiding principle of 'service-oriented administration', the ward ensures that procedures for citizens and businesses are handled conveniently and in accordance with regulations. 

Serving a population of nearly 35,000 people, the ward regularly monitors, urges and evaluates compliance with discipline, rules and regulations among officials and civil servants at the administrative centre to promptly make adjustments as needed.

Focusing on productivity, staff at Đào Viên Ward Public Administrative Service Centre make every effort to serve residents. In addition to their regular operations during office hours, the ward organises after-hours support sessions in residential areas. 

The local administrative centre has also pushed technology application and digital transformation in handling administrative procedures to save time and costs while enhancing transparency and efficiency. 

At the same time, it encourages the use of the national VNeID identification app for submitting applications, especially for fully online procedures, so that citizens do not need to travel to the centre.

Trần Văn Dũng, a resident of the Phù Lang neighbourhood in Đào Viên Ward, said that before the merger, he had to travel to the town centre to handle land-related procedures. Now, many administrative procedures have been decentralised to the ward level. 

When applying for a first-time land use rights certificate, he received thorough guidance from public officials, and the process was completed within 20 working days. He expressed satisfaction with the new local government model.

Kinh Bắc Ward was established through the merger of six wards and has a population of more than 80,000, along with tens of thousands of temporary residents, resulting in a high demand for administrative procedures. 

The ward’s public administrative service centre serves 200-300 citizens on a daily basis. With such a heavy workload, staff often arrive early and leave late. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings each week, officials are assigned to neighbourhoods to assist residents with initial administrative procedures, helping clean and enrich land data.

Kinh Bắc Public Administrative Service Centre Deputy Director Phạm Quốc Cường said that since the implementation of the two-tier local government model, the ward has processed more than 88 per cent of all received applications. Of these, over 84 per cent were completed ahead of schedule, while more than 18 per cent were handled on time.

At Tam Sơn Ward, officials also work tirelessly, not only processing administrative procedures but also helping residents complete online applications. 

Vice chairman of the ward's People’s Committee Trần Huy Cương said that all administrative procedures related to civil status, land and social assistance have been fully digitised, with processing timelines made transparent. 

The ward also regularly organises guidance sessions for residents, particularly the elderly or those less familiar with technology, to help them access online public services. This approach helps narrow the digital divide and ensures equal access to public services.

The Bắc Giang Public Administrative Service Centre in Bắc Ninh Province serves citizens and businesses with the motto 'more professional, more friendly, more effective.'

Since the nationwide administrative restructuring on July 1, Bắc Ninh Public Administrative Service Centre, in coordination with provincial departments and agencies, has received and processed hundreds of thousands of applications, with over 99 per cent handled on time or ahead of schedule. 

Bắc Ninh continues to hold the top position nationwide for 12 consecutive weeks on the real-time index assessing the quality of administrative and public service delivery on e-platforms, reaffirming the province’s strong, substantive and sustainable administrative reform and digital transformation efforts. — VNS