Past noon on a day in late July, Trinh Hoang Nam, an IT officer in Ba Diem commune, was guiding three residents through the National Public Service Portal when he received a request to check the online connection for an upcoming afternoon meeting.

The 39-year-old IT engineer, Nam was previously responsible for IT in Trung Chanh commune. Since July 1st, Trung Chanh merged with Xuan Thoi Thuong and Ba Diem communes to form the new Ba Diem commune. Here, he continues to manage IT and assists residents with online procedures at the Public Administration Center. Each day, the center receives 300-400 applications. Except for certified copies, the remaining procedures require partial or full completion on the National Public Service Portal.

"Seven out of 10 people require assistance with the portal," Nam said, his voice hoarse from a morning of constant talking. He guides younger residents and encourages them to familiarize themselves with the process, while he and volunteers assist the elderly. Many have never used online procedures, logged into VneID, or simply forgotten their passwords, leading to extended guidance sessions.

Trinh Hoang Nam (left) guides residents on the National Public Service Portal, July 31st. Photo: Le Tuyet

After noon, as the last morning applicant left, the staff finally took their lunch break, returning at 1 PM. Meanwhile, Nam and Nguyen Van Hau, Deputy Director of the Public Administration Center, received a request from an elderly resident, too frail to travel, needing assistance with social welfare benefits. After work, they would visit the resident's home to obtain the necessary signature.

According to Hau, since July 1st, citizens aged 75 and above receive a 500,000 VND allowance and health insurance support. An estimated 3,000 residents are eligible. In July, 600 people applied, with over 40 requiring home visits to finalize their applications. This procedure, previously handled at the district level, is now under the commune's jurisdiction as part of 363 procedures managed by the commune, plus 12 additional procedures like housing status verification, land location confirmation, and health insurance card adjustments.

"The processing time for each application is tracked online, down to the minute. Any delay requires an explanation and apology to the resident. We're constantly racing against time," Hau explained.

After the merger, Ba Diem commune, with nearly 204,300 residents, became the most populous commune in the country. Its population is approximately 40% of Lai Chau province (over 512,600) and exceeds the population criteria for wards in centrally-affiliated cities (45,000) by over 450%, as outlined in Resolution 76 of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

After the merger, the total staff of Ba Diem commune's People's Committee (UBND) and People's Council (HDND) is 87, with 43 non-professional staff. According to the government's temporary staffing regulations during this restructuring, each commune-level administrative unit has an average of 32 staff members, with one additional staff member for every 2,000 residents. However, the total number of civil servants cannot exceed 50 for communes and 70 for wards. Consequently, localities like Ba Diem commune must reduce staff. By June of next year, the use of non-professional staff must also cease.

Ba Diem Commune Secretary Nguyen Anh Tuan believes the two-level government model is sound, with residents approving of officials being closer to and serving them better. However, he suggests revisiting staffing arrangements for densely populated areas to ensure effective governance, such as increasing the number of vice chairmen and adding 4 deputy positions for specialized departments.

According to Tuan, the workload for officials has intensified significantly since July 1st. Currently, one official handles 5 to 7 tasks, such as managing emulation, commendation, discipline, and human resources. "Some confided in me about sleepless nights, and 4 officials have resigned," Tuan shared.

Public Administration Center of Tang Nhon Phu ward, August 1st. Photo: Le Tuyet

Besides Ba Diem, Ho Chi Minh City has three other localities with populations exceeding 200,000: Hiep Binh ward (over 215,600), Tang Nhon Phu ward (over 208,200), and Di An ward (over 228,000). Considering localities with over 100,000 residents, the city has 53 communes and wards.

Mid-morning in early August, Phan Ngoc Tan, Vice Chairman of the Tang Nhon Phu Ward People's Committee and Director of the ward's Public Administration Center, used a break during the People's Council meeting to rush to the center to sign documents. Three stacks of certified copy applications awaited him.

While signing, Tan simultaneously worked on online applications submitted through the National Public Service Portal. Before his break ended, the ward's urban and infrastructure officer brought him more documents, reminding him of an afternoon meeting with a business and other tasks requiring his attention.

During the first month of the new two-level local government model, the ward's Public Administration Center received over 4,700 administrative procedure requests, 4,000 of which were for certified copies. Each application requires at least 10 signatures, with some business and bank applications requiring hundreds. The ward has allocated three counters for receiving residents' certification requests.

Since July 1st, officials arrive at least 15 minutes before the official 7:30 AM start time, leave only when work is finished, and work extra hours on Saturday mornings to ensure timely processing of residents' applications.

Phan Ngoc Tan, Vice Chairman of the Tang Nhon Phu Ward People's Committee and Director of the ward's Public Administration Center, signs documents during a break in the ward's People's Council meeting. Photo: Le Tuyet

While working with communes and wards, Vo Van Minh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, pointed out that approximately two-thirds of the applications at commune and ward one-stop shops are for certified copies, overburdening staff, especially the vice chairmen who also direct the public administration centers.

Given this situation, Minh suggests promoting private notary services and encouraging citizens to use them, reducing pressure on local leaders who are "constantly signing documents." With fewer certification requests, leaders can focus on other commune and ward matters.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Quang Dong, Director of the Institute for Policy and Communication Development Studies, suggests that citizens and businesses opt for public certification partly due to lower fees. If the city wants to reduce the burden on officials and shift this task to the private sector, it could set fees similar to public rates for private notaries, with the government covering the difference.

In the long term, Dong recommends reviewing and listing procedures that genuinely require certified copies versus those needing only verification. This would reduce the demand for certification.

During a meeting with the Prime Minister on August 2nd, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc reported that after the administrative unit merger, many localities have large populations but maintain the same leadership structure, creating an excessive workload. Therefore, the city proposes adding vice chairmen to the People's Committees of populous communes and wards, similar to previous regulations under Resolution 98, where localities with over 50,000 residents received an additional vice chairman.

The city also proposes increasing authority at the ward level, such as authorizing deputy directors of Public Administration Centers to approve certain applications, thereby reducing the burden on the administrative system.

Le Tuyet