Vietnam Aims for 40% of its Adult Population to Utilize Online Public Services

Utilizing online public services is crucial during the era of e-government development. Over the past two decades, the government and the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) have recognized the importance of making online public services easily accessible.

Providing end-to-end services and ensuring high quality are two fundamental elements for a significant advancement in offering online public services.

As per the National Agency for Digital Transformation, in the first half of 2024, the percentage of end-to-end online applications reached 42%, a 2.5 times increase from the end of 2023. Moreover, the proportion of administrative procedures available through end-to-end online public services nationwide was at 55.5% (59.68% for ministries and 55.38% for local authorities).

A report from the agency highlighted that by 2010, merely four online public services were at the highest level, constituting just 0.004% of all public services, while the growth rate remained sluggish in the subsequent decade.

Since the commencement of the national digital transformation program in June 2020, Vietnam has experienced remarkable progress, matching the growth rate of the preceding decade every year.

Presently, the ratio of end-to-end online public service provision across the entire nation stands at 55%, a fivefold increase compared to the previous decade.

In 2019, only 5% of total administrative procedures were available in online applications at the highest level. By mid-July 2024, this figure had surged to 43%.

In 2019, individuals were required to create an account to access online public services. Now, all people and businesses are universally identified and authenticated across all central and local government systems.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the National Committee on Digital Transformation have acknowledged that the quality of online public services remains subpar.

Several factors impacting the quality have been identified, including technological challenges. Recently, the MIC evaluated and disclosed the quality of information systems for processing administrative procedures at ministerial and provincial levels in 2024 to aid ministries, departments, and localities in recognizing their status and enhancing their operations.

The Electronic Mission Capability (EMC) system, managed by the MIC, which monitors and evaluates the provision and utilization of digital government services, is now linked with all information systems that handle administrative procedures.