Within the framework of the second 2026 meeting of the Government Steering Committee for the development of science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06, the Ministry of Home Affairs presented a comprehensive report on administrative reform (CCHC) efforts for the first quarter of 2026. Under the action theme “Discipline and responsibility; proactive and effective; innovative; accelerated breakthrough; sustainable growth,” the administrative reform program has achieved substantive results, creating a vital premise for the successful implementation of the 14th National Party Congress Resolution.
Institutional and Apparatus Reform: Substantive and Streamlined
The 14th National Party Congress identified institutions as a "bottleneck" that must be cleared to unlock national resources. Following this spirit, the Government has focused on directing the innovation of law-making and enforcement under the motto “local decides, local does, local is responsible”. One of the most prominent highlights is the consolidation of the 2-level local government model, ensuring the state apparatus operates smoothly and effectively.
To date, all 34 provinces and cities have completed projects to consolidate the functions of Provincial Agricultural Extension Centers. Furthermore, 25 out of 34 localities have established commune-level Public Service Centers, and 32 localities have equipped task-serving vehicles for newly formed communes. The handling of surplus assets after administrative reorganization has also been pursued decisively, with over 25,800 housing and land facilities efficiently rearranged for use as schools, medical facilities, and administrative headquarters.
Breakthrough in Procedure Reduction, Saving Nearly 35 Trillion VND
Administrative procedure reform in Q1/2026 has brought massive and direct economic benefits. As of February 28, 2026, the Government and various ministries have cut or simplified 2,785 out of 3,085 administrative procedures (a 90.3% rate) and 1,973 out of 2,371 business conditions (an 83.2% rate). These efforts have reduced compliance costs by approximately 29.2%, resulting in an estimated saving of 34.9 trillion VND for citizens and businesses.
The administrative procedure resolution system is shifting strongly toward the electronic environment. Currently, 100% of localities have established and are stably operating Public Service Centers, with 33 localities deploying inter-connected models between provincial and commune levels. The average nationwide on-time processing rate for records remains very high at 96.90%. Notably, the model implemented by Hanoi, featuring branches and service points directly under the provincial level, has become a prime example of flexibility and efficiency.
Digital Transformation and Project 06: The Foundation of Digital Government
National digital transformation is identified as the primary driver for enhancing productivity and the competitiveness of the economy. Q1/2026 recorded significant progress in building shared databases. By March 9, 2026, the National Database on Cadres, Civil Servants, and Public Employees had connected with 61 systems across ministries and localities, synchronizing more than 2.16 million records (a 94.35% completion rate). Among these, data cleaning and matching against the national population database were completed for over 2.02 million records.
Regarding online public services, the rate of full-process online records nationwide in February 2026 increased by 9.56% compared to the previous year. Significantly, the rate of digitizing records and results at the local level reached an impressive 83.79%, with the reuse rate of digitized information and data reaching 95%. The Government has also issued critical legal frameworks, such as the Decree on Personal Data Protection and the Decree on Management of Information Technology Investment, to promote safe and sustainable digital transformation.
Frankly Addressing Existing "Bottlenecks"
Alongside these achievements, the Ministry of Home Affairs' report frankly identified limitations that must be addressed. Institutions in several fields are not yet synchronized, causing confusion for local authorities in receiving decentralized tasks.
The issue of public service ethics remains a challenge, as some officials still fail to comply strictly with regulations, arbitrarily requesting additional documents beyond the requirements and causing public frustration. Information technology infrastructure in newly merged communes remains inadequate, and some databases do not yet meet the “correct, sufficient, clean, and live” criteria, which slows the implementation of administrative procedures that are independent of administrative boundaries. Furthermore, the disbursement of public investment capital in the first two months of the year reached only 5.6% of the plan, which is lower than the same period in 2025.
Key Tasks for Q2: Implementing the "06 Clear" Motto
To continue pushing administrative reform, the Government requires all ministries and localities to strictly implement the 2026-2030 reform plan under the motto “clear people, clear tasks, clear time, clear responsibility, clear products, and clear authority”.
In Q2/2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs will finalize and announce the 2025 SIPAS Index (Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services) and the 2025 PAR Index (Public Administration Reform Index) to serve as a basis for service quality improvement. Key tasks include:
- Removing legal bottlenecks: Focusing on resolving obstacles related to the operations of the 2-level local government model.
- Accelerating process restructuring: Digitizing records and papers to enhance the quality of online public services, especially procedures related to residency, land, and business.
- Civil service reform: Implementing new policies to attract and utilize talent and innovating methods for evaluating officials based on their performance results.
- Accelerating digital transformation: Perfecting the information system for administrative procedure resolution following a centralized model, ensuring seamless connection with the National Public Service Portal and the National Data Center.
The results of administrative reform in Q1/2026 demonstrate the high determination and decisive action of the entire political system. Taking science, technology, and innovation as levers not only streamlines the apparatus but also brings practical value, improves the quality of life for the people, and creates momentum for the sustainable growth of the country in a new era.