Abolishing household registration and identity cards: A decision that pleases the people

(Baonghean.vn) - This is a very popular and correct decision in reforming administrative procedures. However, abolishing household registration and ID cards does not mean loosening management.

On November 4, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed and issued Resolution 112/NQ-CP on simplifying administrative procedures and citizen papers related to population management within the state management scope of the Ministry of Public Security.

This resolution is considered to be popular and should be put into practice soon.

Many people came to Vinh City Police to register their household on the morning of November 7, 2017. Photo: Thanh Son

Abolish household registration book and identity card

With the Resolution, the Government approved the plan of the Ministry of Public Security on eliminating procedures on household registration books and identity cards in population management to unify management by personal identification codes...

Specifically: In the group of permanent residence registration procedures, the form of managing permanent residence registration by "household registration book" will be abolished and replaced by the form of updating information on the National Population Database. At the same time, documents on household registration transfer, proof of family relationships, and birth certificates for children registering for permanent residence will also be abolished.

Along with the abolition of the "household registration book", procedures such as separating the household registration book, issuing and changing the household registration book, issuing and changing the temporary residence book, extending the temporary residence... will also be abolished. Similarly, the management of temporary residence will no longer have a "temporary residence book" but will be replaced by updating personal information on the National Population Database.

Procedures for issuing new, exchanging and reissuing identity cards currently being carried out at provincial and district police stations will also be abolished.

The household registration book is essentially a document certifying a citizen's place of residence issued to a household. For a long time, many paperwork procedures have required a household registration book. Photo: Document

In particular, along with the abolition of "household registration books" and "identity cards", procedures related to the fields of immigration, vehicle registration, registration of conditional business lines, etc. will also eliminate the requirement for people to present household registration books and identity cards.

Even in some personal history declarations, people will no longer have to provide information such as date of birth, gender, and place of permanent residence.

Resolution for the people

Resolution 112/NQ-CP of the Government takes effect from the date of signing and promulgation. The Resolution is an important premise for implementing the roadmap to simplify administrative procedures, overcoming the current situation of a citizen having to use many types of documents; has breakthrough value for the development of e-government and more scientific population management.

The resolution has been welcomed and positively responded by all classes of people in Nghe An. Mr. Nguyen Ba Thang, a resident of Vinh Tan ward, Vinh city, said: The government has made another decision that is in line with the people's wishes, helping everyone have the right to reside freely, while saving costs and hassles. When the household registration book is eliminated, we people do not have to go to the ward or return to our hometown to carry out procedures to stamp confirmation on applications for school and work; we are no longer limited by the residential boundaries according to the household registration book...

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hai, Head of Trong Hai Law Office and Associates: The abolition of household registration books and identity cards in population management contributes to "unleashing" and "breaking down barriers" for many residents in big cities who do not have household registration. Photo: TL

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hai, Head of Trong Hai Law Office and Associates, affirmed: The abolition of household registration books and identity cards in population management is in line with the general trend of the world; contributing to "unleashing" and "breaking barriers" for many residents in big cities without household registration to have equal rights in medical examination and treatment, health insurance, going to school, working in public administrative agencies; creating convenience, ensuring citizens' rights, helping people to exercise their household registration and household registration rights...

In fact, it is not too early for the State to abolish household registration books and identity cards.

Mr. Pham Duc Tho, Vice Chairman of Ha Huy Tap Ward People's Committee: "When household registration no longer plays an important role, its abolition is in line with the development steps of society." Photo: TL

Mr. Pham Duc Tho, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City, acknowledged: In fact, the Law on Residence currently does not have sanctions on household registration. In addition, circulars of the Ministry of Justice also stipulate that the confirmation of citizen records only confirms the citizen's signature. Therefore, when household registration no longer plays an important role, it is appropriate to remove it.

Digitization and issuance of personal identification codes are very good for population management. However, to put this policy into practice requires a process and preparation time. Mr. Dinh Xuan Nam, former Chief of Hong Son Ward Police, Vinh City analyzed: When abolishing household registration, certainly at first the management agency and the people will have to face some small difficulties such as determining the relationship between husband and wife, parents and children and making citizen identification cards.

Early into life

Sharing on the sidelines of the National Assembly, Colonel Nguyen Huu Cau, Director of Nghe An Provincial Police, affirmed: This is a very popular and correct decision in reforming administrative procedures, eliminating unnecessary paperwork for the people. However, eliminating household registration and identity cards does not mean that we are loosening management.

Many people worry that it will be difficult to control people from the provinces flocking to big cities, but in fact it is possible to control everything, even foreigners coming to Vietnam. For example, Nghe An province has 3.2 million identification codes. We require all hotels and inns to log in every day and every hour and declare how many people there are. Then, we just need to look it up on the computer and get the correct answer.

Colonel Nguyen Huu Cau shared: The national database is currently being completed. The management agency has prepared carefully. We need time to convert but not long. With the determination of the Government, the abolition of household registration books and identity cards will be implemented as soon as possible. It is not possible to summarize how much the abolition of household registration books and identity cards will save for the people. However, I think it will save a lot of effort for the people and money for state agencies when having to print paper to make books and pay for staff.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Vu Cuong, Deputy Chief of Vinh City Police, affirmed that for the police agency, temporary residence registration, temporary absence, and residence control by identification code will shorten working time and administrative procedures. We fully support this policy. Currently, the Ministry of Public Security and other ministries and branches do not have specific implementation instructions; when there are instructions, we will focus on implementation, creating favorable conditions for the people.

To implement the Resolution, the Ministry of Public Security is assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to be responsible for amending, supplementing, replacing or abolishing administrative procedures and citizen papers in legal documents to promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation in accordance with the time of operation of the National Population Database.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Vu Cuong, Deputy Chief of Vinh City Police: After having specific implementation instructions, Vinh City Police will focus on implementation, creating favorable conditions for people. Photo: TL

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Hong Phu - Deputy Director of the Department of Police for Residence Registration and National Population Data, General Department of Police said that in November 2017, the Ministry of Public Security will organize a conference to deploy the construction of a national database on population. Currently, the General Department of Police (Ministry of Public Security) has directed local police to collect 15 citizen information and issue each person a unique identification number for shared use.

Investment activities in servers, transmission lines, and equipment serving the entry of national population data will be implemented after this conference. Accordingly, the national population database built by the Ministry of Public Security will be integrated into these two servers located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, high-speed transmission lines and technical equipment will be built to connect 63 localities, 713 districts, and 11,000 communes, wards, and towns into a unified system.

It is expected that, "by the end of 2018 and early 2019, the Ministry of Public Security will complete collecting information of over 90 million people and provide it to the sectors to effectively handle administrative procedures./.

Thanh Son