Staying close to the people to serve them better

By simply enjoying a morning cup of coffee or hot tea, citizens and businesses can meet directly with local leaders to share their concerns and aspirations. This is the effectiveness of initiatives such as “Morning with the People” in Phuoc Binh Ward, “Morning Tea with Citizens and Businesses” in Long Ha Commune, and “Morning with the People for Listening and Exchange” in Nghia Trung Commune.

Leaders of Nghia Trung Commune meet with citizens over tea and coffee on weekday mornings to listen and exchange views.

These initiatives have become trusted platforms where many grassroots issues are heard and addressed promptly. They contribute significantly to building an image of officials who are close to the people, respect the people, and measure public service effectiveness by the satisfaction of citizens and businesses.

Many local issues promptly resolved

Since late December 2025, the “Morning with the People for Listening and Exchange” initiative in Nghia Trung Commune has become a venue where officials and residents engage in open and friendly conversations. Through these meetings, the local administration has directly listened to and resolved many issues arising in residential areas. Nguyen Van Ha, a specialist at the commune office responsible for citizen reception, said, “Many complex issues that had remained unresolved for years have been settled through these meetings. A typical example is the concerns related to the Darana Reservoir Project in the commune. Construction was completed at the end of 2022, but water storage could not begin because some households had not yet handed over their land. However, through these conversations, the relevant issues were explained to citizens, enabling them to gain a better understanding of the issue, after which they accepted compensation and handed over their land. The bottleneck was removed, creating conditions for the Darana Reservoir to close its dam and begin water storage in 2026.”

In recent years, Nghia Trung Commune has implemented several major projects, notably the Gia Nghia–Chon Thanh section of the North–South Expressway and projects related to bauxite mining and processing. The implementation of these projects has generated public concerns regarding compensation, support, resettlement, and land clearance. Rather than waiting for citizens to submit petitions, commune leaders proactively called and invited residents to morning coffee meetings for discussion. During these sessions, citizens could directly express their opinions and ask questions about compensation policies, project progress, and their rights. In addition, many disputes within residential areas have been successfully resolved. One example involved the households of N.V.H. and N.V.M., who are relatives. H. hired M. to plant rubber trees and later paid him with one hectare of rubber trees located at the rear of the property. Believing the access path was too narrow, M. asked H. to widen it, but H. disagreed, resulting in a dispute. After receiving the petition, commune officials invited both parties to a coffee meeting. The discussion was conducted in a friendly atmosphere with a focus on harmonizing interests. Ultimately, the dispute was resolved.

“The greatest effectiveness of the initiative lies not in the number of sessions held, but in building consensus among the people, limiting complaints that are submitted to higher levels, and strengthening public trust in the administration.”

Nguyen Van Luu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghia Trung Commune

Listening early to address issues at the root

While Nghia Trung Commune operates the “Morning with the People for Listening and Exchange” initiative on weekday mornings at the headquarters of the Commune People's Committee, Long Ha Commune organizes the “Morning Tea with Citizens and Businesses” initiative on the grounds of the former Ngo Quyen High School in hamlet 9. The meetings are held during the first week of each month.

Mai Van Chuong, Deputy Director in charge of the Long Ha Commune Public Administrative Service Center, said that many issues arising in daily life have been raised frankly by local residents. These range from contractors spilling soil and sand onto roads and the deterioration of transportation routes to complaints about late-night karaoke noise, domestic violence, and dog theft. Through these meetings, commune leaders promptly assess the situation, assign relevant agencies to handle issues, or recommend that competent authorities address them, preventing minor incidents from developing into larger problems.

Pham Hong Cong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Long Ha Commune, said, “The “Morning Tea with Citizens and Businesses” initiative has been implemented since May 2026, based on the policy of building a friendly administration that places the people at the center of service. We want to listen early so that issues can be addressed at the root. Small problems, if not resolved promptly, can develop into major conflicts within the community.”

Citizens clearly feel the change

In Phuoc Binh Ward, meetings between the local administration and residents have also proven effective. The Chairman of the Ward People's Committee personally receives citizens from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekday mornings, creating favorable conditions for people to exchange views, raise concerns, and submit petitions. When the Chairman is unavailable due to meetings or unexpected duties, the Vice Chairman of the Ward People's Committee is authorized to receive citizens.

Nguyen Tuan Anh, a resident of Neighborhood 1 in Phuoc Binh Ward, said that in the past, people often had to make multiple trips to complete administrative procedures or did not know whom to contact. Now that ward leaders regularly meet and listen to residents, the process has become much more convenient. Many public concerns related to the environment, transportation infrastructure, and administrative procedures have been resolved more quickly through the direct dialogue model. “I went to the Ward Public Administrative Service Center to complete procedures for changing the purpose of land use in preparation for building a house. After coming here, I clearly noticed the change. Procedures are processed more quickly and conveniently. Officials provide courteous and professional service. Citizens feel respected and heard,” said Nguyen Tuan Anh.

Pham Thi Hien, Director of the Phuoc Binh Ward Public Administrative Service Center, said, “Administrative reform is not only about reducing procedures, applying technology, or shortening processing times. More importantly, it is about changing the service mindset. Through these interactions between the administration and the people, we have also received positive public feedback, which is an important motivation for us to continue improving.”

The initiatives in Phuoc Binh Ward, Long Ha Commune, and Nghia Trung Commune demonstrate that although each locality has adopted its own approach, they all share the common goal of building an administration that remains close to the people, understands their concerns, and serves them more effectively. This also provides an important foundation for developing a modern and transparent administration that places the people at the center of service.

By Quang Minh – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha