People of Phu Xuan ward carry out administrative procedures at the one-stop department

Facilitate people and businesses

Previously, every time he went to do administrative procedures, Mr. Le Van Hung (Phu Bai Ward) had to prepare a small fee, although not much, but accumulated over the year it was quite significant. Now, when he heard the news of the "0 VND" resolution passed by the City People's Council at the recent 25th Special Session, Mr. Hung said: "I feel much lighter. I don't have to go to the ward to pay, I just need to sit at home and do the paperwork online, it's both fast and convenient."

Mr. Hung's small story reflects a major administrative reform step in Hue : The regulation of a 0 VND fee when performing administrative procedures via public services not only reduces the financial burden on people, but more importantly, is a "push" to promote the digital transformation process and build an e-government.

From 2023, the city will apply a collection rate of only 60% for procedures performed via online public services. Thanks to that, the rate of online public services has increased significantly. Data in 2024 shows that at the provincial level, the rate of online public services reached 87% (an increase of 11.8% compared to 2023), and at the commune level, it reached 64% (an increase of nearly 25% compared to 2023). This is an important foundation for the city to boldly take a new step: Completely abolishing fees.

The resolution stipulates a collection rate of 0 VND for 5 types of fees under the authority of the City People's Council, including: Business registration fees, household registration fees, granting work permits to foreigners, granting land use right certificates and granting construction permits. These are procedures closely related to the daily lives of people and business operations.

People of Kim Tra ward carry out administrative procedures at the one-stop department.

According to statistics, in 2024, the revenue from public service fees will be just over VND 2.9 billion, accounting for a mere 0.02% of the city's total domestic revenue. This figure shows that the exemption does not significantly affect the budget, but creates huge social benefits. Mr. Nguyen Van Truong, owner of a construction business, shared: "Each time applying for a construction permit, the fee is not much, but when it is removed, the important thing is to create a comfortable mentality, encouraging us to submit applications online instead of waiting in line."

Driving force for digital transformation

It is no coincidence that Hue chose 2025 - the pivotal year of implementing the two-tier local government model - to issue this resolution. By cutting small revenues, the city has affirmed the spirit of "service government", considering the convenience of people and businesses as the top priority.

In fact, although the fee is small, it is often a psychological barrier that makes many people choose to pay directly "to be safe". By eliminating this fee, the Hue City People's Council has sent a strong message: public services are not only fast but also completely free. This is the way to attract people and businesses into the digital space, thereby promoting a profound change in social behavior.

Hue is not the first locality to implement this policy. Previously, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Quang Nam applied a zero-VND fee for public services. However, Hue's special feature is that it came later but had careful preparation: From a trial reduction of 40% of fees in 2023 to a complete exemption in 2025. This is a solid approach, both based on data and creating social consensus. Hue has also carefully calculated the impact on the budget. With an expected revenue shortfall of about 4.9 billion VND/year, the City People's Committee affirmed that this impact is insignificant compared to the great benefits achieved. That shows that this decision is built on the basis of a harmonious balance between economic and social benefits.

Meanwhile, small and medium enterprises appreciate the time-saving feature. Each time they complete a procedure, they do not need to send people back and forth many times, but only need one click. For startups, saving costs and time is an opportunity to focus on production and business.

Administrative agencies also benefit from the increase in online applications. Processing via the electronic system helps reduce the pressure of receiving and avoid errors in the process of submitting paper applications. More importantly, it helps limit the negative effects arising from direct transactions and increases transparency in handling administrative procedures.

In order for the Resolution to be most effective, Hue needs to continue to improve its information technology infrastructure and improve service quality. Currently, many people, especially those in the suburbs and the elderly, are still confused when accessing public services. At the same time, it is necessary to increase propaganda so that people understand the benefits and are willing to use public services. Changing social behavior always requires time and patience.

Not projects worth thousands of billions of VND, but sometimes just from seemingly small decisions - paying a few thousand VND in fees can create big changes in thinking and social habits. In his closing speech at the 25th Special Session, Party Central Committee member, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hue City Le Truong Luu requested the City People's Committee to promote the application of information technology, effectively implement the policy of collecting 0 VND fees for online administrative procedures, creating maximum convenience for people and businesses.

Article and photos: Le Tho

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/quyet-sach-nho-hieu-ung-lon-157625.html