Providing the online public services (OPS) is considered an important step in the process of administrative reform (AR) and implementation of e-Government. The use of the OPS helps to reduce the time to send and receive documents, reduce effort, and increase economic efficiency. However, in recent times, there are still few people actively accessing the facilities that OPS bring.

Civil servants at a provincial unit were guiding people to handle administrative procedures

House in Son Thanh Dong commune (Tay Hoa district), before, every time there was a need to solve administrative procedures, Mr Le Van Phuoc had to go a long way to the district, plus a long waiting time. Although he had heard a lot about the OPS in the past, he himself did not know how to start approaching it. Recently, under the guidance of the guiding task group, Mr. Phuoc was able to open an account on the OPS Portal and was able to perform online application submissions by himself. Mr. Phuoc said: "Now with the OPS, I can operate at home, limiting travel time, very convenient and useful for the family".

Chairman of Son Thanh commune People's Committee, Mr Dong Thai An Nam informed that most young people have better information technology skills, so the locality focuses on propaganda by sharing on social networks, facebook, zalo for them to grasp and support relatives and family more easily. The commune is focusing on propaganda and guidance so that each citizen can set up an account and use the public services in the best way.

According to Tay Hoa district People's Committee, over the past time, district leaders have regularly directed the updating of administrative procedures under the jurisdiction of the district on the OPS Portal, creating favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to update, look up information to serve the settlement of administrative procedures. In order to improve the efficiency of using public services, the district has established task groups to implement the Government's Project 06, which focuses on propagandizing and guiding people to register for accounts and use the OPS on the National Public Service Portal.  

In order for more and more businesses and individuals to participate in public services, according to Vice Chairman of Tay Hoa district People's Committee, Mr Phan Cong Trinh, heads of agencies, units, localities and each cadre, civil servant and public employee need to increase strengthen communication, effectively propagate the use of the OPS so that they better understand the benefits brought from this service. In particular, focus on highlighting the benefits people and businesses enjoy. The manual is presented in the form of illustrations. Videos on specific implementation of a number of online public administrative services are posted on the website. Simultaneously, the design of simple step-by-step instruction manuals, easy to perform the service... Especially, heads need to improve the responsibility in handling documents on the the OPS Portal; cadres, civil servants and public employees also increase their responsibilities in guiding people and businesses in submitting level 3 and 4 dossiers to ensure high confidentiality and maturity to increase the reliability of organizations and individuals.  

Mr Pham Minh Hung, Director of the AR Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chief of the Office of the Government's AR Steering Board, informed: "People's psychology is very little interested in the OPS. Therefore, in order for organizations and individuals to participate in the OPS, the administrative procedures on the portal must be simplified, easy to implement, accessible, easy to declare and perform, then people will participate. The key is to meet people's needs; organizations and individuals must trust in the OPS. And in order for them to believe, the government must first continue to review and simplify administrative procedures, and propagate and guide people in a more specific way. When it's convenient, safe, and verifiable, then people find ways to participate on their own".

Source: Phu Yen Newspaper

Translated by HAI LOAN