Small section, big impact

(Baonghean)Over 300 phone calls received in 365 days is the result of the hotline's reader engagement after one year of operation. For us, this is even more significant as many of the citizens' suggestions, after being published, have received positive responses from relevant authorities...

Looking back at the information that citizens have reported on the Hotline section over the past period, we can see the diversity and multifaceted nature of the issues that readers have been concerned about, most of which are issues directly related to people's lives such as the quality of transportation infrastructure, wasteful spending in markets and commercial areas, land violations, obstacles in policies for people with meritorious services, environmental pollution, etc. From this information, a series of "hot spots" have been identified, for example: whether or not there is illegal fee collection at the land registration office in Hung Nguyen district, the excavation of sand and soil in the protected forest area in Hamlet 14, Nghi Tien commune, the construction of an illegal market southwest of Hoang Mai bridge, the encroachment on sidewalks and roads for illegal business of construction materials in Dien Cat - Dien Thang - Dien Binh communes, and the situation of "dirty" tap water resembling pond water in the residential area of ​​Alley 3, Phung Phuc Kieu Street (Tan Thanh block, Le Mao ward, City). Vinh)...

With its advantages of speed and conciseness, few newly launched sections have achieved such a rapid impact. For citizens, this is a reliable and official information channel where they can express their concerns and frustrations regarding problems in their residential areas or other places they see and witness while traveling. The positive and timely feedback from the public is also the reason why the hotline remains consistently active and effective throughout the past 365 days.

Speaking of the column's responsiveness, one can mention the effectiveness of the article "Charity Fund... with compassion," which originated from a phone call from a reader in Vinh Tan ward (Vinh City) via the hotline.

Recognizing this as an issue affecting the rights of many people, reporters from Nghe An Newspaper expanded on the matter and uncovered a form of usurious lending disguised as a "Charity Fund" under the name of the Vietnam Women's Union, with interest rates exceeding 28% per year and hundreds of billions of dong in interest earned after a year, shocking many readers.

Thanks to timely feedback, just two days later, representatives from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union and the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Charity Fund met with provincial leaders, relevant departments, and the Nghe An Newspaper. During the meeting, the Fund's representatives acknowledged the lack of transparency in the fund's operations, especially regarding interest rates, and committed to adjusting and changing interest rates accordingly in the future... The article: "Collecting water pipe installation fees in Hong Son ward (Vinh City): Lack of transparency" also originated from a phone call from a reader.

Through verification, Nghe An Newspaper promptly pointed out the errors and lack of objectivity of Branch No. 1 of the Water Supply Service – Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited. After the article was published, many people called in to express their agreement and considered it a valuable lesson for many wards and communes, as the installation and upgrading of the water supply network is currently being implemented simultaneously in many areas throughout the city.



The Reader Services staff are currently answering the hotline.

Because the hotline is becoming increasingly reliable, it's understandable why it's a section regularly monitored by authorities, and many consider it a "covert" monitoring channel through which units can check the effectiveness and identify problems within their management. Following the published information, many units have sent feedback after conducting checks. State management agencies such as the Provincial People's Committee, the People's Committees of Vinh City, Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, etc., also regularly send official letters and documents requesting relevant agencies to investigate the issues raised by the hotline in order to promptly resolve problems for the people.

Nearly 100 responses from relevant authorities after 365 days of operation can be considered a success for a relatively new section like "Hotline". However, citizens who have directly shared their thoughts and aspirations still expect more from this section. To continue to enhance the effectiveness of the section, and to meet the readers' need for more attention, contributions of opinions and information from the public, as well as the active involvement of relevant authorities in handling the information reflected by citizens, we need to contribute to building a section that truly belongs to the people, for the people, and protects the legitimate rights of the people, as initially envisioned by the Nghe An Newspaper Editorial Board.

My Ha