More than 200 representatives from Vietnamese ministries, provinces, delegates from the Australian Embassy, DFAT and UNDP in Vietnam, as well as experts and local people attended in the conference. Additionally, a large number of people across the country also participated in the event online.
With the aim of improving the quality of e-public services in the country, delegates shared experience in connecting with the National Public Service Portal from Thua Thien-Hue province. The conference also aimed at collecting citizens’ ideas and opinions and ideas from delegates and people at its Q&A session, chaired by Minister Mai Tien Dung, Chief of the Office of Government and Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedures Reform, and Chairman of the Thua Thien- Hue Provincial People’s Committee Phan Ngoc Tho.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mai Tien Dung stressed that the first and foremost goal of the National Public Service Portal is to “Leave No One Behind,” targeting the people and businesses, integrating public services of ministries, agencies and localities into the National Public Service Portal, and providing user-friendly online public services for all people. The National Public Service Portal is part of the bigger program to build an e-government on one hand, and helps people and businesses save their time and money when handling administrative procedures. Additionally, the National Public Service Portal also serves as a channel to receive feedbacks and recommendations from people and businesses. That is to say they can directly join the Government in building institutions, as well as strengthening administrative discipline and order.
Over the past seven months since its launch, the National Public Service Portal has integrated 750 online public services (359 services for people and 414 for businesses). So far, it has had 189,000 accounts registered and recorded nearly 50 million visits. It has also received more than 179,000 documents sent online, handle nearly 7,000 complaints, and replied 16,600 phone inquiries. Its E-payment has been integrated with six ministries and 33 out of the 63 provinces.
In her opening remarks, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen pointed outs four advantages of performing administrative procedures online, namely safety, convenience, less environmental pollution, and lower risk of corruption.
She stated, “E-governance and digital transformation have become even more vital and urgent in the context of COVID-19. I would like to commend the Government of Viet Nam for its commitment at the highest level to e-governance and digital transformation. Citizens engagement is key, both for promoting e-governance and for improving its quality.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Robyn Mudie, Ambassador of Australia to Viet Nam, affirmed Australia’s strong partnership with Viet Nam in building an e-government. “For the past few years, Australia has walked alongside Vietnam in its e-governance journey in sharing lessons and experience from both sides. I’m impressed by how much Viet Nam has achieved and honored to take another step on this path today,” she said.
During the conference, ministries and agencies introduced online public services such as paying for voluntary social insurance, applying for extension of the validity of household health insurance cards and applying for driving licenses. They are essential public services for citizens, which have recently integrated into the National Public Service Portal.
Reported by Hoang Linh