The electronic reservation system of the Administrative Service Center of the Optics Valley in Wuhan, Hubei Province, makes the administrative procedures more efficient (COURTESY PHOTO)

Li Cheng is close to fulfilling his dream of starting his own business in Optics Valley of China, situated in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province. All left to do is to register his startup with the government. Li logged on to the public account of Optics Valley on WeChat, China's premier mobile app, and made an appointment at a convenient time and location. The system advised him of the required documents, the procedures to go through, and even the means of transport available. The next day, it took him just 30 minutes to file his application.

"With this online service, I will not have to go to the Optics Valley Administrative Service Center as in the past. And being able to make an appointment through an app, I spared myself from waiting in the long queue," said the young entrepreneur. Li said knowing in advance what documents are needed is very important as it prevents him from having to return in case of incomplete information.

Launched in mid-November by the Optics Valley administration department, this new online service is part of Wuhan's efforts to streamline its administrative procedures for public service. To achieve this goal, using new technologies is essential.

The use of new technologies like big data and satellite positioning streamlines the administrative management in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province (XINHUA)

Reforming services

Established in 1988, the Optics Valley is part of the first national hi-tech zones approved by the State Council. Since its founding, it has pioneered administrative reforms to create a better business climate. In early 2014, it embarked on streamlining the administrative approval process. Since then, a startup is no longer obliged to go to different departments to register a business. All that needed is to file documents through a one-stop service counter at the Administrative Service Center of Optics Valley. The center is responsible for examining the files to see if they are complete before forwarding them to the relevant departments.

"So far, our reform has been focusing on the integration and consultation of various government departments, achieving positive results. Of course, we will continue this reform, but the room for maneuver we have will be limited if we go on with traditional methods," said Gong Xueyi, Deputy Director of the administrative service center.

Much importance has been attached to the use of new technologies like big data in the administration of Optics Valley, according to Gong, who is also deputy director of the Bureau of Big Data. It aims to create a platform gathering data from different departments before designing a smart administration system. The digitalization of the administrative service is the first step.

"With the smart administration, we want to further streamline the approval process. This smart administration system would enable our customers to have an experience similar to their online shopping," said Gong.

He said another advantage of this new digital service is being more resource-efficient. For example, with precise data regarding how many customers to serve, enough counters can be arranged in advance to meet their demands. Some observers have questioned whether it is possible to substitute the online service for on-site service. This scenario is rejected by Gong. For him, this practice would be too radical. "We must take into account the level of education and computer literacy of all in the community. It would not be reasonable to ask all senior citizens to use digital tools to file their documents. If the reform is too radical, it will end up causing problems to some of them and would be counterproductive," he said.

Effective response

An advanced phase of the smart administration system has been partly piloted in Wuhan since February this year. This is intended to create a platform to respond to the needs of more people.

Chen Jie is a resident in Optics Valley. He found a manhole cover near his home had been removed, causing a potential danger to him and his neighbors. Formerly, there were few channels for him to file a complaint for a resolution to such a problem. But now, a single hotline, which connects with an AI administration network, can quickly solve his complaint. This network can sort and prioritize what complaints should be dealt with first, and pass on the information to relevant departments in a timely manner.

Currently, the city has put in place three levels of management - the district, neighborhood and community. In the case of Chen Jie, the network passes on his complaint to his community. If the case is beyond their responsibility, they will submit it to the neighborhood administrators, and so on until the case reaches the right competent department. "In doing so, we seek to solve the problems of residents and businesses as quickly as possible," said Gong.

According to Gong, to secure the private information of people, this network cannot go through the Internet, which is vulnerable to hacking. It is therefore necessary to create a unique network for the administrative service. As a safety net, the platform is also monitored by another separate system.

For Gong, setting up this platform will be the cornerstone of smart city construction. With many varied demands of communities, the platform takes into account all aspects of urban governance, including public security, taxation, civil affairs and trade and industry. To be operational, it is necessary for all government departments to act together and share their data. "If this reform is completed, we will not be far from digital governance, and therefore a smart city," said Gong.

(Comments to lixiaoyu@chinafrica.cn)