In the first quarter, administrative reform efforts in Son La delivered key results. The province received and processed 95,597 applications, with 97.26% completed on or ahead of schedule. Online submissions accounted for 86.5%, well above the national average of  60% (7.2 out of 12 points), while the online payment rate reached 94%. The reuse of digitised data stood at 97.09%. Public satisfaction with administrative procedures hit 97.65%.

One highlight is the use of population data to streamline paperwork. Public administrative service centres at all levels in Son La no longer require residents to resubmit personal or residency documents if such data is already available in the national population database.

The province has also issued 28 new internal administrative procedures and scrapped six outdated ones to streamline the apparatus and ensure smoother, more efficient governance.

However, Son La still faces challenges in implementation as IT literacy remains limited among parts of the population, particularly ethnic minorities in some areas, making online submissions less accessible. In addition, a lack of bank accounts means many residents rely on intermediary e-wallets for payments, creating certain inconveniences.

In the coming period, Son La will step up timely updates and processing of applications on the one-stop-shop system, ensuring 100% of dossiers are handled digitally. The province will continue reviewing, listing and fully updating administrative procedures, fees and processing timelines to make them easier for residents to track and look up.

At the same time, the provincial People’s Committee will tighten inspections and strictly address harassment and misconduct, requiring formal apology letters and clear rescheduled deadlines for any overdue applications.