The delegation from the Ministry of Justice works with Nghe An province.

Working with the team,Representing the leadership of Nghe An province were Comrade Bui Thanh An - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with leaders of various departments and agencies.

At the meeting, representatives from the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee reported on the results after nearly a year of operating the two-tiered local government system (provincial and commune) since July 1, 2025. With 130 commune-level administrative units (119 communes, 11 wards) and 14 departments and agencies operating under the new model, Nghe An has created a turning point in organizing a streamlined and efficient administrative apparatus.

Specifically, from the beginning of 2026 to May 20th, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee issued 10 Decisions announcing 175 administrative procedures, including simplifying 146 procedures and abolishing 29 outdated ones. The review process has brought tangible benefits to citizens and businesses: the average reduction in processing time reached 35%, and compliance costs were saved by approximately 17%. Notably, some units, such as the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, achieved an average reduction of up to 40% in processing time, with some procedures reduced by as much as 50%.

Nghe An province also recorded remarkable growth in the implementation of administrative procedures electronically. The rate of online applications submitted throughout the province reached a record high of 97.29%. The rate of timely processing of applications reached 98.41%. The implementation of electronic interlinking for two essential administrative procedures (birth registration, death registration) has become well-established, with over 130,967 applications successfully processed, saving people significant time.

Besides the achievements, the People's Committee of Nghe An province also frankly pointed out the systemic difficulties encountered when integrating data with the National Data Center. Notably, immediately after the system transition at the end of April 2026, the National Public Service Portal frequently crashed, slowed down, and became inaccessible, significantly affecting the processing of applications at the commune level.

The national coordination system and database for administrative procedures are still not operating stably, frequently experiencing interruptions in work sessions, affecting the processing of applications. Local administration also faces difficulties due to the unscientific display of the list of units. Notably, in some places, citizens are still being asked to provide or certify unnecessary documents, creating additional procedures and prolonging the processing time.

To further clarify the local efforts, Comrade Bui Thanh, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, stated: An emphasized the significant changes starting from the grassroots level. Immediately after the implementation of the two-tiered local government system, the province directed communes and focused substantial resources on the Commune-level Public Administrative Service Centers. To date, nearly 100% of communes have modern systems, from vehicles and equipment to internet connections, to serve citizens immediately.

Comrade Bui Thanh An cited significant and groundbreaking improvements in the time taken to process procedures for several key projects, such as the procedures for the Quynh Lap LNG Thermal Power Plant Project, which were completed in just 5 months, whereas following the old procedure would have taken 2 to 3 years.

Regarding the issue of decentralization and delegation of power, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee stated that decentralization is necessary but must be based on the actual staffing, capacity, and resources of the commune level. The ultimate goal is to speed up the process and create better conditions for businesses and people, rather than shifting difficulties from the top down.

Comrade Bui Thanh An affirmed that he will continue to prioritize resources to improve digital infrastructure, determined to build a service-oriented administration, and that the satisfaction of the people will be the highest measure of the effectiveness of reforms.

After hearing the report and conducting a direct inspection, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh highly appreciated the decisive leadership and direction of the provincial leaders. The locality is implementing many effective and appropriate solutions in building e-government and improving the quality of service to citizens and businesses.

Sharing the difficulties faced by the locality, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh acknowledged that obstacles related to information systems and delays in the transition to a new management model are unavoidable. The Deputy Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Justice will fully consider the province's recommendations to advise the Government, and will coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to promptly address connection issues, ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted provision of public services to citizens and businesses.

The comrade also suggested that Nghe An province continue to play a pioneering role in administrative reform and digital transformation, maintaining close connection and coordination with the Ministry of Justice to build and perfect key reform models that can be replicated nationwide.