The Hanoi City Party Committee Office recently announced the Standing Committee's directive to rectify public service attitudes. This follows an incident where a female official at the Ngoc Ha Public Service Support Point, also known as Branch 3, requested a 97-year-old woman to visit the ward office to complete administrative procedures.

This directive stems from feedback regarding the female official's service attitude. Specifically, on 22/6, a man visited the Ngoc Ha Ward People's Committee to process a pension authorization for his 97-year-old mother, whose previous authorization had expired. The elderly woman is a pre-insurrection cadre with nearly 80 years of Party membership.

At the judicial and certification counter within the Ngoc Ha Public Service Support Point, the receiving official insisted the 97-year-old woman must be present in person. However, her son explained that his mother's advanced age and frail health prevented her from visiting the ward office. The female official then instructed him to return home and make a video call via social media at 17h30 that day to verify the information.

The man followed these instructions. During the video call, upon seeing the mother and son on the phone screen, the female official did not offer a greeting, merely asking, "Is she conscious?" The son explained that his mother could still read French stories but "was sometimes lucid, sometimes not." The official then stated that the elderly woman's condition prevented her from completing the authorization procedure and subsequently demanded that her two biological children come to the ward office to process the authorization papers.

Elderly people in Hanoi receive pensions at a payment point. *Photo: Phong Linh*

On the morning of 23/6, leaders from the Hanoi Public Administration Service Center, along with Branch 3, directly visited the elderly woman's family. They offered their apologies, listened to the family's feedback, and accepted responsibility for the service limitations encountered. They also assisted in completing the administrative procedures at her residence.

According to the Public Administration Service Center, initial verification revealed that the professional guidance provided was in line with current regulations. However, the implementation process showed limitations in communication, conduct, and information delivery.

The Hanoi City Party Standing Committee concluded that the incident created negative public perception regarding the attitude and conduct of officials and public servants in their interactions with citizens, particularly with relatives and families of meritorious individuals. Consequently, the Standing Committee has instructed the competent authority to require the Hanoi Public Administration Service Center to thoroughly review and improve the attitude and conduct of all personnel when interacting and working with the public.

"Additionally, the responsibility of relevant groups and individuals will be considered, with strict disciplinary action taken as per regulations, if applicable," the document stated.

Importantly, the Hanoi City Party Standing Committee has tasked the City Party Inspection Committee with overseeing the assessment of responsibility for all involved Party organizations and members. All units are required to report their findings to the Standing Committee by 5/7.

Pension authorization allows a beneficiary to designate another person to collect their monthly payments at a designated disbursement point, typically due to health issues, geographical distance, or other personal reasons. Under previous regulations, pension authorizations were set to expire after 30/6, necessitating renewal by beneficiaries to ensure uninterrupted payments.

Current law stipulates that pension beneficiaries can authorize another individual in writing to manage their benefits. This authorization document is valid for a maximum of 12 months from its creation date and requires certification. Previously, the authorization period could be mutually agreed upon and specified by the parties; if left blank, the validity was one year from the establishment date.

Vietnam Social Security stated that the 12-month maximum validity for authorization documents aims to mitigate payment risks, ensuring that benefits reach the correct individuals within a system serving 3,4 million beneficiaries. Many of these beneficiaries are elderly, frail, or reside far from disbursement locations. Provincial social security agencies are instructed to collaborate with post offices, public administration service centers, or local residential areas to verify information, guide citizens, and encourage beneficiaries to open bank accounts.

Beneficiaries should actively check the validity period of their authorization documents and avoid waiting until close to 30/6 to act. When establishing a new authorization or changing their payment method, individuals should directly contact the Social Security agency, post office, public administration service center, or their local residential authority. These official agencies do not send text messages or links via social media, so citizens are advised to exercise caution.

Vo Hai