A friendly and efficient government built under the slogan of “4 courtesies”, “4 always”, and “5 no’s”

Dong Nai province is decisively shifting its working style from an “administrative order” approach to a friendly, service-oriented government under the “4 courtesies”, “4 always”, and “5 no’s” slogan. The initiative aims to raise the accountability of Party committees and authorities as well as the awareness of cadres and civil servants in serving the people. After more than two and a half months of operation, the two-tier local government model has shown clear progress: authorities are closer to the people, services are delivered faster, and interactions are more friendly.

Youth Union members at the Phu Rieng commune Public Administrative Service Center, Dong Nai province, support local residents in carrying out online administrative procedures. Photo: Ngan Ha

No Saturdays off

After the administrative boundary merger, Long Hung ward (Dong Nai province) became one of the most densely populated areas with more than 70,000 residents. The number of administrative records increased by an average of 25–30% compared to before. To promptly support residents in resolving administrative procedures, especially those who cannot come during weekday office hours, Long Hung ward provides citizen services throughout Saturdays.

Nguyen Thi Huong, a resident of Long Hung ward, shared: “The weekend is the only time I can come to notarize documents. When I arrived here, I was warmly welcomed by ward officials, who proactively helped citizens complete procedures quickly.”

Unlike the usual leisurely weekend pace, Saturday mornings at the Long Hung ward administrative office are bustling with people coming and going. Officials and civil servants, neatly dressed in uniforms, diligently receive and process citizens’ administrative procedures. Common procedures such as household registration, certification, birth and death registration, and issuance of confirmation papers are all handled efficiently, ensuring that citizens don’t have to wait long.

Nguyen Thanh Tien, Deputy Director of the Long Hung ward Public Administrative Service Center, said: “To promptly process the number of applications, we encourage officials and civil servants to arrange family matters so they can work on weekends. Working hours may start early in the morning and end late in the evening to reduce overload, ensuring citizens don’t have to wait. Besides overtime, officials also receive regular training to improve professional capacity and stay updated on new regulations to serve citizens better.”

In response to the modernization requirements of party member management, the issuance of chip-embedded party membership cards is being rolled out nationwide. In recent days, public security forces in wards and communes across the province have urgently coordinated with local Party Committees to carry out this task. The public security forces not only schedule multiple working shifts at headquarters but also go directly to the Party members’ homes and alleys, even on weekends, to assist elderly party members or those with mobility difficulties.

For citizens’ trust, support, and approval

Binh Long ward receives hundreds of citizens daily seeking to resolve administrative procedures, mostly related to land issues, but procedures are carried out in an orderly manner. Elderly citizens unfamiliar with the processes are assisted by Youth Union members in searching for information, filling out forms, using mobile phones, and scanning required documents before submission. The ward is also equipped with internet access and free wifi, enabling residents to conveniently submit administrative procedures online.

Deputy Director of the Dong Nai province Department of Home Affairs Ha Thanh Tung inspects administrative reforms and the building of a friendly government at Binh Long ward. Photo: Ngan Ha

Nguyen Cao Thanh, Vice Chairwoman of the Binh Long ward People’s Committee and Director of the Ward Public Administrative Service Center, noted: Although the workload at the reception counters has increased, each official and civil servant has upheld their role and responsibility in every task, demonstrating civility in their interactions with citizens.

At the Chon Thanh ward Public Administrative Service Center, an industrial ward in the northwest area of Dong Nai province, the demand for administrative procedures is relatively high.

Vo Thi Hong Cuc, Vice Chairwoman of the Chon Thanh ward People’s Committee, shared: “The ward leadership has arranged 15 reception counters across all sectors, enabling residents and businesses to complete all their needs in one place. In particular, the ward has also promoted the application of science, technology, innovation, and comprehensive digital transformation.”

Dong Nai is actively building a friendly government, shifting from a “directive government” to service-oriented government. This is carried out strictly through the principles of “4 courtesies”: greeting, apologizing, thanking, and asking permission; “4 always”: always smiling, always being gentle, always listening to, always helping; and “5 no’s” by saying no to the following manifestation of abuse of power, arrogance, causing trouble or inconvenience; bureaucracy, indifference, irresponsibility; corruption, waste, or vested interests; flattery, lobbying, dishonesty; abuse of position or power in duty execution. Alongside this, the province has proactively launched creative campaigns and models, such as the no dependence on administrative boundaries model; the 30-day campaign to increase the rate of digitalized records and online public services; and the 30-day-and-night campaign to disburse public investment capital. As a result, the rate of records resolved on time or ahead of schedule in Dong Nai in the first 9 months of 2025 reached 98.97%. The satisfaction index of citizens and businesses ranked third out of 34 provinces and cities.

Deputy Director of the Dong Nai province Department of Home Affairs Ha Thanh Tung emphasized: The province has tightened discipline, strengthened accountability of leaders, and, together with proactive implementation of creative models and campaigns, agencies and localities have clearly recognized the importance of administrative reforms. This has helped build a pool of officials and civil servants commensurate with their tasks, meeting the expectations of serving citizens and businesses. The transition from a directive government to a service-oriented government is seen as the benchmark of administrative reform, enabling Dong Nai to adapt to new circumstances.

The effectiveness of the friendly government model being decisively implemented in Dong Nai, measured by the satisfaction of organizations, businesses, and citizens, will continue to inspire the entire political system to work together in unity to meet the demands of the new era.

By Ngan Ha, Thu Hong - Translated by Quynh Giao, Thu Ha