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

HCM CITY— 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.

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 would be enough staff to reply to correspondence via email, text message, telephone, and hotline, it 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.

Post offices offer a 20 per cent discount to people communicating for online public services.

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

Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, deputy 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. — VNS