Ministry of Science and Technology and Thanh Hoa resolve difficulties in operating two-level government

According to a survey by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Thanh Hoa province, after more than 1 month of operating the two-level local government model, it has initially brought positive results, especially in administrative reform, digital transformation, innovation, etc.

On August 19, 2025, the working delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology worked with the Department of Science and Technology of Thanh Hoa, at the Provincial Public Administration Service Center and Ha Trung commune, to grasp the situation, record the results, and at the same time remove difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of Resolution 57/NQ-TW, Decree 132/2025/ND-CP and Decree 133/2025/ND-CP.

The delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology worked with the Department of Science and Technology of Thanh Hoa province on the operation of two-level local government.

At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Thanh Hoa province, said that the province currently has 166 commune-level administrative units, including 147 communes and 19 wards. Since July 1, the two-level local government has been operating stably, effectively implementing local political tasks. The province has promptly allocated resources, ensured facilities, information technology infrastructure and put into operation 100% of the commune-level Public Administration Service Centers.

From July 1, 2025 to August 15, 2025, the provincial center received 7,542 administrative procedure (AP) files from people and businesses, of which 4,473 files were processed; the rate of files processed correctly and before the deadline reached 99.99%. The commune-level public administrative service centers received 149,470 AP files, of which 139,415 files were processed. The rate of files processed correctly and before the deadline reached 98.83% , contributing to improving the quality of administrative reform at the grassroots level. The command and control system from the province to the commune level is operated synchronously and smoothly, helping localities quickly grasp the new mechanism and handle work promptly.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Director of the Department of Telecommunications, Head of the Working Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology shared at the working session.

The Department has guided the establishment of 166 commune-level technical support teams with 1,179 members to support people, businesses, and civil servants in using the software. The provincial-level technical support team to coordinate support for general activities consists of 60 members.

After more than 1 month of operating the 2-level local government, Thanh Hoa province has been highly appreciated by the Central inspection delegations, being one of 9 localities that have soon completed the preparation of all conditions for the 2-level local government to come into operation.

Officials of the working delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology listen to the sharing of officials in charge of the field of science and technology at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Public Administration Service Center.

However, the operation of the two-level government model in the province still faces difficulties due to the uneven quality of commune-level officials in terms of capacity, experience, and expertise; lack of specialized personnel in some fields; limited facilities and information technology infrastructure at the Commune-level Public Administration Service Center. Currently, at the commune and ward level, the human resources in charge of digital transformation are still lacking and weak or inexperienced. Therefore, the initial implementation still encountered difficulties and confusion.

The information technology infrastructure has been invested and used for a long time, reducing efficiency and increasing the time for handling work of cadres and civil servants , especially in the implementation of public services . The reception of records and administrative procedures of individuals and organizations in the province is still carried out within the limits of the administrative units of communes and wards; therefore, in some units with large population size, there is a situation of overload, while neighboring units have few records.

The working delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology representing 14 management and advisory units of the Ministry supported localities in removing obstacles in the field of science and technology.

The system of specialized software of ministries and branches deployed to localities is still slow, especially for interconnected procedures (Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Justice, etc.). Searching for administrative procedures on the National Public Service Portal is still complicated, not convenient for people and businesses. The VNeID application takes a long time to authenticate, is often overloaded, and operates slowly during peak hours, etc.

The digitization system of databases on inventions, designs, and trademarks is still scattered and difficult to access, causing difficulties in management and information search. Meanwhile, the implementation of some decentralized and delegated administrative procedures requires information and data from previously issued records...

Members of the Working Group learn about public services in Ha Trung commune.

At the working session, the Department of Science and Technology of Thanh Hoa province requested the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology and relevant units to have regulations on staffing and job positions for departments managing and operating information systems and digital transformation at the commune level.

In addition, organize training and professional training for localities in new highly specialized fields that the Ministry has just decentralized and delegated to localities such as radiation and nuclear safety, intellectual property, science and technology activities, telecommunications and Internet, quality measurement standards, etc.

In order to have a basis for implementing the tasks stated in Clause 4, Article 12 of Decision No. 19/2014/QD-TTg dated March 5, 2014, the Province requests the Ministry of Science and Technology to issue a document guiding the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones after the arrangement, which are subject to mandatory or encouraged application of the Quality Management System according to National Standard TCVN ISO 9001.

In handling administrative procedures, the Ministry of Science and Technology needs to provide a list of phone numbers of the Ministry's civil servants who directly handled administrative procedures to support localities, as well as share data on the list of consulting organizations, independent consultants and certification organizations that have been granted certificates of eligibility for consulting/assessment by the Standards and Quality Committee and testing, inspection, appraisal and certification organizations in receiving, handling, processing registration dossiers and issuing certificates to handle administrative procedures...

The delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology exchanged and listened to opinions at the Public Administration Service Center of Ha Trung commune, Thanh Hoa province.

Representing the working group, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Director of the Department of Telecommunications, acknowledged the efforts of Thanh Hoa province in implementing the new model. The Department has also had many breakthrough solutions to resolve difficulties and obstacles in operating two-level local government.

At the meeting, representatives of specialized units of the Ministry of Science and Technology directly discussed and answered specific questions about local decentralization and delegation of authority, and at the same time guided localities in implementing regulations and professional processes, shared practical experiences, and committed to accompanying and supporting localities in implementing the two-level government model to ensure smooth and effective S&T activities.

Some contents are beyond the authority of the Working Group. The Group has recorded and summarized, reported to the Ministry's leaders to propose solutions./.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/bo-khcn-cung-thanh-hoa-giai-quyet-vuong-mac-trong-van-hanh-chinh-quyen-hai-cap-197250819203314867.htm