Hanoi wins Smart Public Services award for leadership in digital governance

THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi today (December 23) won the “Smart Public Services” award at the Vietnam Smart City Awards 2025, organized by the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), standing out from 75 entries nationwide.

The awards ceremony, part of the Vietnam-Asia Smart City Summit 2025, presented 18 accolades this year, including eight for urban authorities and 10 for technology solutions.

Hanoi won the “Smart City Operations and Management” award for excellence in public service, highlighting its ongoing efforts to enhance government-citizen interaction through digital innovation.

Judges highlighted several flagship initiatives, including the 24/7 AI-powered public service hotline, the virtual assistant system and the iHaNoi digital citizen application, which help reduce communication barriers in a large and complex urban environment.

These tools have improved transparency, accelerated response times and raised the efficiency of public services for residents.

Hanoi is actively implementing Project No. 06, the national digital transformation program and has made steady progress in streamlining administrative procedures and improving governance efficiency.

The Hanoi Department of Science and Technology monitors implementation and submits monthly progress reports to the national oversight system under the project.

To ensure coordinated execution, all departments, sectors and local authorities must develop implementation plans aligned with the city’s digital roadmap.

In recent years, Hanoi has strengthened its digital infrastructure, including a cloud-based data center and an integrated data-sharing platform known as the Local Government Service Platform.

Since adopting the two-tier local government model in July 2025, the Hanoi Public Administrative Service Center has integrated digital solutions into daily operations, established public service centers across all 126 wards and communes and deployed mobile service vehicles to bring services closer to residents.

The citywide data system enables seamless data exchange across the administration, laying a solid foundation for more modern and efficient governance.

By 2025, Hanoi plans to deploy 11 key national and sectoral databases that directly support administrative reform while protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens and businesses.

These initiatives form part of a newly approved plan signed by Truong Viet Dung, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee.

The plan positions Hanoi at the forefront of building synchronized data infrastructure for comprehensive digital transformation, with a strong focus on consistency, efficiency and cybersecurity.

Launched by VINASA in 2020, the Vietnam Smart City Awards have become a leading benchmark for urban innovation nationwide.

A highlight of the 2025 edition was the public vote for the “Most Livable City,” based on seven criteria: governance, transport, environment, infrastructure, startups, security and the digital economy. Organizers recorded more than 200,000 public votes nationwide.

The five localities receiving the highest public scores were Danang, Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Hue and Nghe An.

According to VINASA, strong public participation reflects growing concern about urban living standards and reinforces that while technology serves as a powerful tool, the core mission of smart cities remains improving people’s happiness and quality of life.