South China's Hainan Province has introduced a new system that allows residents to submit information to authorities only once, after which it is automatically shared across government departments, aiming to reduce administrative burdens and improve governance efficiency.
Haikou City is home to more than three million people, which involves a heavy volume of administrative work. At Binjiang Subdistrict in Qiongshan District, Wang Dujuan, director of the administrative approval office, is guiding a resident through the required steps.
For officials like her, paperwork used to mean repeatedly entering the same information into forms for different departments. The "One Form Connect" system is helping eliminate that duplication.
"Before, we had separate forms for different departments. We had to enter the same information again and again and check data by hand, leaving less time to serve residents. Now, we enter information once and share it across departments. The system can also compare data, making our work more efficient and giving us more time to serve people," said Wang.
Senior-resident subsidies are one example. The system checks household registration and social security records to flag residents who may qualify. Community staff can help eligible residents register for the subsidy.
Officials say the system cuts down on manual checks and helps prevent missed or incorrect payments.
"We used to fill out more than 10 forms every quarter, covering things like population changes, social security enrollment, rental housing and public security patrols. Now, we can submit reports on our phones right from the field. There's no need to return to the office and sit at a computer. It takes just five minutes," said Zhou Chuanqi, head of Beichongxi Community Party Committee, Binjiang Subdistrict.
Official figures show that townships and subdistricts across Hainan now fill out an average of 26 forms a month, down from 96.
The platform was developed by Hainan's Big Data Development Center.
"We consulted frontline staff and reviewed the forms already in use. That helped us identify forms that could be combined and where new technology could help. We're bringing data together and using AI and other technologies to expand the system's applications," said Sun Jianming, deputy director, Hainan Big Data Development Center.
For Hainan, the reform is about more than simplifying procedures. Officials say it is also changing how local government operates at the grassroots level.
"After more than a year, we've seen that 'One Form Connect' is about more than a new way to submit reports. It reflects a deeper change in grassroots governance. It's also a way to improve work practices and extend full and rigorous Party self-governance to the grassroots. At the same time, it eases officials' workloads and strengthens digital governance," said Yuan Lei, director of digital government promotion division, Hainan Provincial Department of Business Environment Development.
Hainan rolls out 'One Form Connect' to cut paperwork, boost governance efficiency
Hainan rolls out 'One Form Connect' to cut paperwork, boost governance efficiency
