Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has instructed local authorities to review the widely discussed case in which a 97-year-old woman was reportedly asked to appear at a ward-level administrative office to complete paperwork, and to ensure similar incidents do not occur.

The Government Office has issued a document conveying the Deputy Prime Minister's instructions on reviewing and simplifying authorization procedures for pension and social insurance benefit recipients.

The directive follows media reports and public discussion surrounding the case at Branch No. 3 of Hanoi's Public Administrative Service Center, where a 97-year-old woman was reportedly required to appear in person to complete authorization procedures. Hanoi's Party Committee and People's Committee had previously directed authorities to promptly address the incident.

To improve the quality of public services, particularly for vulnerable groups, older people, individuals with meritorious service and policy beneficiary families, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra instructed chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees to immediately direct Public Administrative Service Centers under their authority to review the incident, draw lessons from it and ensure similar cases do not occur in their jurisdictions.

The Deputy Prime Minister also instructed local authorities to review administrative procedures and, based on local conditions, introduce mobile public service models for eligible administrative procedures, making services more accessible for vulnerable people, older citizens, individuals with meritorious service and policy beneficiary families.

In addition, she directed the Minister of Home Affairs, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Justice, to review the written authorization provisions in the Law on Social Insurance and propose solutions to simplify administrative procedures for citizens and businesses.

The Deputy Prime Minister specifically requested research into implementing electronic authorization and authentication through the VNeID platform and the National Public Service Portal, with a report on proposed measures to be submitted to the Prime Minister before August 1.

Tran Thuong