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The services include applications for financial support for citizens whose jobs have been impacted by the coronavirus, with a maximum of 1.8 million VND per month for three months on offer.

They also feature loans applications for employers to pay wages, registering for tax payment deadline extensions, suspending payment to retirement and survivor funds and receiving reports and requests related to COVID-19 assistance.

Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said the new services will assist 4 million labourers and employers affected by the pandemic and shorten the waiting time for receiving the support compared to applying offline by six to 10 days.

Through reports and requests from individuals and enterprises, the public services will assist the Vietnam Fatherland Front to supervise the State’s COVID-19 relief package.

Dung asked service-providing ministries and agencies to work together to monitor the administrative procedures.

He highlighted the need to remove unnecessary licences and barriers so individuals and enterprises just need to register once and do not need to bring licences to offices for administrative procedures.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has ordered People’s Committees at provincial and city levels to step up dissemination to the public on the State’s COVID-19 relief package and address their applications through the national public service portal.

Localities have also been asked to pay out financial support via bank accounts.

The national public service portal at dichvucong.gov.vn is an electronic platform connecting the Government with people and enterprises. It publicises information regarding administrative procedures and provides public services.

Since it was launched in early December last year, the portal has so far provided 389 services (160 for individuals and 229 for businesses).

Online public services help save nearly 6.5 trillion VND (282.6 million USD) per year.

The Government public service portal itself helps save more than 3 trillion VND (130.5 million USD) per year./.VNA