The Đống Đa Ward Public Administration Service Centre at 71 Tôn Đức Thắng Street in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội aims to remain among the country’s leading localities in the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index), while targeting a minimum score of 86 per cent in the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS), setting an ambitious reform agenda that city leaders say will underpin faster growth and more transparent governance.

Identifying administrative reform as a key and urgent political task, the city is accelerating reforms and digital transformation so they truly become central drivers of growth, contributing directly to its 2026 GRDP growth target of 11 per cent or higher.

Hà Nội has set the goal of continuing to rank among the national leaders in the PAR Index, while striving to raise SIPAS to at least 86 per cent. Of this figure, satisfaction among citizens and businesses with online public services is expected to reach 90 per cent or higher.

A major highlight of the city’s 2026 State Administrative Reform Plan is the strong renewal of leadership and governance methods in conjunction with digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence (AI).

Specifically, Hà Nội aims for 100 per cent of leadership, management and internal governance activities to be conducted on digital platforms, with AI applied in the document management and administrative operation system. The city also targets full electronic processing of work dossiers at both city and commune levels, except for classified documents.

Regarding administrative procedure reform, Hà Nội plans to ensure that all administrative procedures can be carried out without regard to administrative boundaries within the city. The city is committed to returning 100 per cent of administrative procedure results on time or ahead of schedule, with on-time processing rates in the natural resources–environment and planning–investment sectors required to reach at least 99 per cent.

In terms of organisational restructuring, Hà Nội will continue streamlining its apparatus in line with the principle of a lean, compact, strong, efficient and effective system.

Notably, the city has set a target to reduce staffing levels by at least 20 per cent among officials and public employees paid from the State budget, in accordance with the central roadmap. Hà Nội will also conduct a one-year effectiveness review of the reorganisation of the City Public Administration Service Centre, following the transfer of service points from commune- and ward-level people’s committees to centralised management under the centre.

To ensure transparency and accountability, the city requires 100 per cent of citizens’ feedback and recommendations on administrative regulations to be processed and publicly disclosed on the iHanoi application. Leaders at all levels are also required to hold dialogues with citizens and businesses at least once every six months to address difficulties and concerns.

In recent times, under the direction of the Hà Nội Party Committee's Steering Board for Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Digital Transformation, the city has completed the restructuring and implementation of 293 administrative procedures. This effort has helped save more than VNĐ1.65 trillion (US$63.5 million) in social costs annually, cut millions of travel hours and marked a fundamental shift from paper-based management to data-driven governance. — VNS