Citizens and businesses in Ho Chi Minh City will soon be able to register online for administrative procedures.

Thecity will take applications 24/7, including on weekends. It will alsoguide people on how to fill out the forms and keep track of theirapplications as they go through the process.

This service is anelectronic one-stop-shop system created as part of the city's programmefor administrative reform started this year.

In the initialphase, applications on business registration, culture, labour, healthcare, natural resources and environment, and building permission will beaccepted online.

The service will begin in the municipalPeople's Committee administration, and the departments of Informationand Communications; Science and Technology; Planning and Investment;Industry and Trade; Tourism; and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Intandem with the service's launch, the city is working on a "paperlessoffice" initiative, which would connect the City People's Committeeadministration with district governments and municipal departments, andenable them to work with each other online.

At the same time, anumber of agencies will get a new software system that takes complaintsfrom voters online, under a trial programme.

The city's PeopleCommittee ordered all local Government departments, offices,organisations and citizens to make appointments with the city's StandingCommittee via the website, as of March 1: //ubnd.tphcm.gov.vn.

Requests for appointments with the committee are registered and processed online.

Anew software application allows people and organisations seekingappointments to track the progression of their requests. They arenotified by e-mail once their appointments have been scheduled.-VNA