This is the conclusion of a report on assessing public service portals at the provincial level in 2024 released at a seminar held by IPS (Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development) and UNDP August 21 in Hanoi. 

Nguyen Minh Hong, former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, and chair of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA), affirmed that the role of online public service portals are important as Vietnam is fostering the development of digital government.

The portals are not just the place that provides public services in a transparent and effective way, but also the bridge that connects the state with people and businesses.

However, VDCA noted that there still exists a big gap between the real situation of online public services and the goals set for the portals. According to the National Committee on Digital Transformation, in July 2024, the dossiers for public services submitted online just accounted for 17 percent.

The report assessing the quality and operation of 63 public services at provincial level in 2024 showed that the services are better than last year. Some portals are highly appreciated in two criteria ‘providing support information’ and ‘ease in using tools for checking’.

However, in general, public service portals still cannot satisfy 100 percent of users’ requirements and cannot reach the optimal goal – creating favorable conditions for people to follow administrative procedures. 

All the 63 provincial public service portals still have shortcomings, making it inconvenient for people to use, including civil servants and users, especially those in remote areas and disabled.

Many people using public service portals still cannot fulfill all procedures online, but they have to rely on direct guidance from officers.

The report also showed that: 60 public service portals did not meet the criteria for personal data protection and privacy; 39 public service portals did not meet the criteria in accessibility for people with disabilities; most of the service portals have average compatibility with both computers and smartphones; no public service portal has more than 50 percent of the criteria marked as ‘good’; the difference in quality of services among localities is not clear.

The results of the checking of public service portals at provincial level in 2024 coincide with the quality ranking of the provincial administrative procedure information systems announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) in early July.

With the ranking by MIC, none of the information system handling administrative procedures met A and B-levels, the high levels in the rankings. Meanwhile, 39 localities got C, 15 got D and 9 provinces got E.

Van Anh