Hanoi is shifting from simply deploying technology to delivering practical benefits for citizens and businesses.
At the public administrative service centre in Bach Mai ward. Photo: VNA
As Vietnam advances digital government, the digital economy and digital society, Hanoi is shifting from simply deploying technology to delivering practical benefits for citizens and businesses.
Leaders of the capital city stress that digital transformation should not be measured by the number of software systems or online procedures, but by tangible outcomes such as reduced paperwork, lower costs, shorter processing times and more transparent governance.
Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Tran Duc Thang, head of the municipal steering committee implementing the Politburo's Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, underlined at a meeting in early May that digital transformation must be evaluated based on its real impact on residents and enterprises, with visible results that avoid wastefulness.
From administrative management to digital governance
Hanoi has emerged as one of Vietnam’s leading localities in digital transformation, focusing on integrated governance and service efficiency rather than formal targets.
According to the steering committee, the city has shifted from traditional document-based administration to task management based on outputs, deadlines and measurable results. Shared digital platforms, core databases and systems for monitoring progress are gradually taking shape.
Digital transformation efforts now extend across the political system, from city to grassroots levels. Under Plan No. 20-KH/BCD57, Hanoi is implementing 20 key task groups and 30 major projects. All 126 communes and wards, along with municipal departments, have developed implementation plans.
A key platform is the HanoiWork digital workspace system, now deployed at 153 agencies with more than 37,300 user accounts, supporting task assignment and digital administration.
Experts noted that internal digitalisation is essential for effective digital government. If officials continue handling documents manually, residents cannot fully benefit from convenient and transparent online public services.
Hanoi considers data a core resource for urban governance and smart-city development. The city is building databases under the principles of being accurate, sufficient, clean, “live”, unified and shared, addressing longstanding fragmentation that has forced citizens and businesses to repeatedly submit information.
In health care, electronic health records are being integrated with the VNeID platform to improve medical services. In land administration, connections between the Public Service Centre, Land Registration Office and tax authorities are helping shorten processing times.
The Secretary of the municipal Party Committee has instructed agencies to complete unified land databases meeting “accurate, sufficient, clean and live” standards before June 30.
Officials say effective data integration will reduce repeated paperwork and lower compliance costs - considered the core value of digital transformation.
Hanoi is also moving from counting workloads to measuring impacts. Of the city’s 2,063 administrative procedures, 661 have been decentralised under 11 authorisation mechanisms to speed up processing. By early May, 92 of 126 communes and wards had achieved fully electronic document issuance rates above 90%.
Driving digital economy, smart-city development
Beyond digital government, Hanoi aims to accelerate the digital economy and innovation.
By the end of the first quarter of 2026, the capital had 204 science and technology enterprises - the highest nationwide - alongside more than 1,000 innovative start-ups and nearly 11,000 digital technology firms.
Hanoi targets the digital economy contributing 22% of GRDP by 2026 and at least 40% by 2030. Under the capital’s 100-year master plan, digital transformation remains a strategic growth driver, with the digital economy expected to account for around 50% of GRDP by 2035.
Long-term plans include smart transport systems, AI-assisted urban management, digital infrastructure expansion and smart-city models based on digital twins and artificial intelligence.
The city also links digital transformation with green development goals, including net-zero emissions, clean public transport and a circular economy.
Despite progress, Hanoi still faces challenges. Authorities are monitoring 637 tasks related to science, technology and digital transformation, including 30 overdue assignments. While resources have increased, implementation remains uneven.
Experts say the main challenge lies not in technology itself but in changing administrative practices. Without interoperable data, standardised procedures and clear accountability, digital transformation could become merely superficial digitisation.
Against this backdrop, Hanoi’s emphasis on reducing paperwork, cutting costs and improving digital-service usage is viewed as a practical approach to ensuring digital transformation delivers meaningful benefits for citizens and businesses./.