From small events to great determination
On July 24, 2025, a resident reported on the iHanoi application that a person being protected at the administrative point of Quoc Oai commune (Hanoi) refused to let him in after office hours, while another person was allowed in. Attached to the reflection is a video recording the incident, along with a request for clear handling and a public apology.
Immediately afterwards, Branch No. 7 - the unit in charge of this administrative point - verified and admitted that the security guard had an inappropriate attitude, causing citizens to be upset and asking this person to learn from experience, contact citizens to discuss and apologize. A meeting to disseminate the code of conduct was also held for all staff.
The story seems very small, but the way the government approaches - open, quick, and public - clearly demonstrates the operating philosophy that Hanoi is pursuing: Administrative service, not rigid management. And above all, it shows a foundation of public ethics that is being reshaped, from the seemingly trivial things.
Hanoi's goal is to soon build a friendly, close-knit image in all public administrative centers.
On July 29, the Hanoi People's Committee issued Official Letter No. 4329/UBND-NC on the implementation of a number of free utilities at Branches and Public Administration Service Points across the city. Accordingly, from August 1, 2025, 15 groups of utilities will be put into operation simultaneously, aiming at the goal of "taking people as the center of service" in administrative reform.
The list of utilities deployed is quite diverse, including: high-speed Wifi; photocopy, printing documents; document documents such as cover, sticker, pen; providing form formats, declarations and declaration support; support for online procedures; legal advice; support for installing VNeID, iHanoi applications; creating personal digital signatures; notification of file status via Zalo, SMS or Email.
In particular, some unprecedented utilities have also been tested, such as: Digital library, relaxing green space; free battery charging support equipment; beverages and snacks; elderly and disabled support equipment; basic medical equipment and even reception robots to guide procedures.
Behind the change: A new administrative mindset
According to Lao Dong reporters on the morning of August 1 in Tay Tuu ward, Hanoi, a large number of people have come to do administrative procedures in an atmosphere of order, convenience and comfort much more than before.
At Tay Tuu public administrative service point, Ms. Duong Thi Thoa (residing in Van Tri residential group 4) shared: "I came to declare to do land compensation procedures. At first, I did not know how to do it, but the staff gave me instructions on how to register for a number and wait for a call. The officers work on time, the solutions are very quick and no inconvenience".
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thieu (residing in Ngoa Long) came to confirm the marriage status to make a red book, saying: "I have been making documents since 2022 but have been stuck with many papers so I have not finished yet. Today, public administrative staff have provided detailed support and specific instructions for each type of document that needs to be supplemented. Feeling comfortable, no longer feeling worried like before".
According to Ms. Le Thi Thanh - Deputy Chief of Office of Tay Tuu Ward People's Committee, after a month of implementing the model, utilities and processes serving people have been put into place.
"People coming to do procedures are fully supported with advice, guidance to declaration. Eligible documents are processed on the same day, without having to travel many times as before. For in-depth questions, we invite people to the citizen reception room to have specific answers.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Bui Duong - Director of Tay Ho Public Administration Service Center No. 1 - said: "Previously, the center had to arrange many staff to be on duty at the counter to guide people step by step, because Hanoi's administrative procedure system currently has more than 2,000 procedures in different fields".
However, thanks to the application of AI and encrypting processes through QR codes, many steps have been automated. "People just need to scan the QR code to access the form, provide detailed instructions or make appointments, so human resources are streamlined and efficiency increases" - Mr. Duong said.
According to the reporter's records, the synchronous implementation of free utilities at public administrative points not only demonstrates Hanoi's determination to reform administration but also contributes to practically reducing costs and saving time for people and businesses - two subjects directly affected by administrative procedures.
More importantly, this model helps reshape the image of "friendly public administration", contributing to creating people's trust in small things such as pens, cups of water or free declarations... to legal support and digital signatures - all of which demonstrate the "service administration" philosophy that Hanoi City is aiming for.
