The restructuring of 293 common administrative procedures, which generate nearly 2.4 million dossiers annually, has helped Hanoi save over VND 1,650 billion in social costs, cut millions of hours of travel, and gradually shift from paper-based dossier management to data-driven management, post-inspection, and legal accountability.

Implementing the directives of the Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation of the City Party Committee, the Hanoi People’s Committee has vigorously implemented the task of restructuring administrative procedures (APs) towards substantive reform. The city clearly identified the goal of taking the effectiveness of serving citizens and businesses as the central measure; taking the reduction of social costs and improving practical experience as criteria for evaluating results.

On that basis, Hanoi has completed the development and approval of restructuring plans for 293 APs to provide online public services and full-process online public services in a seamless, efficient, and cost-optimized manner. These are the most common procedures, generating an average of about 2.39 million dossiers per year, focusing on areas directly impacting people’s lives and production and business activities.

Confronting the “bottlenecks” in AP resolution

The intense focus of resources on AP restructuring stems from the requirement to frankly assess the practical implementation of online public services in recent times. Although 100% of administrative procedures under the City’s authority have been provided in the form of online public services; the rate of online dossier reception currently reaches nearly 100%, contributing to an estimated increase in reception productivity and a reduction of about 40% in waiting time at the one-stop shop, the rate of dossiers processed fully online has only reached 68.7%.

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This reality shows that the level of convenience perceived by citizens and businesses is not yet commensurate with the potential and expectations of digital transformation in AP resolution. The main reason is that many procedures still heavily require notarization or submission of original copies, lean towards pre-inspection, keeping compliance costs high, and forcing people to travel multiple times.

Furthermore, although interactive electronic forms have been configured, many information fields have not been automatically synchronized with data due to limitations in interoperability and connectivity. People still spend a lot of time repeatedly declaring information. Some online public services do not yet have sufficient legal and technical conditions for full-process implementation, but still need immediate restructuring to optimize the process and create a foundation to bring 100% of procedures fully online in the near future.

Through comprehensive review, assessment, and restructuring of the AP resolution process, the aforementioned shortcomings have been fundamentally resolved step by step, bringing clear results.

First, administrative procedure compliance costs have sharply decreased, from about VND 2,306 billion per year to about VND 654 billion per year, equivalent to savings of VND 1,652 billion, achieving a reduction of 71.64%.

Along with that, 72 types of dossier components have been eliminated or completely replaced by electronic data, minimizing the need for citizens and businesses to prepare, photocopy, notarize, or certify documents.

Notably, 95 administrative procedures have been converted from requiring notarized copies to requiring ordinary electronic copies, based on an assessment of low legal risk. This approach both reduces pressure on notarization activities and significantly saves time and travel costs for citizens and businesses.

The substantive shift to full-process online has helped cut over 15.1 million hours of travel per year for citizens and businesses. To date, 293/293 APs have been confirmed as eligible and will be applied uniformly according to the restructuring plan starting from January 1, 2026.

These results show that AP restructuring is not merely a technical adjustment of the process, but a comprehensive reconstruction of the interaction method between the State and citizens and businesses on the digital platform.

Direct benefits for citizens and businesses, strengthening social trust

Citizens and businesses are the direct beneficiaries of the practical benefits from the AP restructuring process. According to the resolution of the Hanoi People’s Council, citizens and businesses do not have to pay fees or charges when carrying out administrative procedures, except for dossier appraisal fees as stipulated.

The city supports 100% of the costs for returning AP resolution results; 100% of electronic results are returned to the accounts of individuals and organizations on the National Public Service Portal and the iHanoi application. Thanks to this, people can

Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, with a history spanning over a thousand years since its establishment as the capital of the Đại Việt kingdom in 1010. It is renowned for its well-preserved French colonial architecture in the Old Quarter, ancient temples like the Temple of Literature, and its pivotal role as the political and cultural heart of the country throughout various dynasties and modern conflicts.

City Party Committee

The “City Party Committee” refers to the local leading body of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a municipality. It is responsible for implementing Party policies and guiding political, economic, and social affairs within its jurisdiction. Historically, such committees have been central to governance and development in Chinese cities since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

Hanoi People’s Committee

The Hanoi People’s Committee is the chief administrative body governing Vietnam’s capital city, operating from its iconic French colonial-era headquarters. Completed in 1906, the building was originally named the *Hôtel de Ville* (City Hall) and served as the office for the French colonial administration. Today, its distinctive yellow facade and clock tower make it a prominent historical landmark, though it is not open to the public for tours.

National Public Service Portal

The National Public Service Portal is a centralized digital platform launched by the Vietnamese government in 2019 to provide online access to administrative procedures and public services for citizens and businesses. It was created to streamline bureaucracy, enhance transparency, and reduce the time and cost of accessing government services, marking a significant step in Vietnam’s national digital transformation efforts.

iHanoi

“IHanoi” is not a recognized historical or cultural site in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is likely a modern business name, such as a cafe, restaurant, or co-working space, and therefore does not have a notable public history. For a summary of Hanoi’s heritage, one could instead discuss landmarks like the Old Quarter, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, or the Temple of Literature.