The Hanoi Party Committee has recently addressed concerns regarding the service attitude of public officials after an incident involving a 97-year-old woman at the Ngoc Ha Public Service Support Point. The directive comes in response to complaints about the treatment of the elderly woman, who was required to appear in person to complete administrative procedures.

On June 22, a man visited the Ngoc Ha Ward People's Committee to process a power of attorney for his elderly mother, who is a veteran with nearly 80 years of party membership. The public official at the service point insisted that the elderly woman must be present, despite her advanced age and health issues. The man's attempts to explain his mother's condition were met with a request for a video call to verify her status, during which the official failed to greet them properly.

Following the incident, the leadership of the Hanoi Administrative Service Center and the Ngoc Ha branch visited the woman's family to apologize and address the shortcomings in service delivery. They acknowledged that while the procedural guidance was technically correct, the execution was lacking in communication and interpersonal skills.

The Hanoi Party Committee emphasized that the incident reflected poorly on the professionalism of public servants, particularly in their interactions with citizens, especially those with historical significance. They have instructed relevant authorities to ensure that lessons are learned from this incident and to consider disciplinary actions against those involved, if necessary.

Furthermore, the Party Committee has tasked the City Inspection Committee with reviewing the responsibilities of the involved party organization and its members. A report on this matter is expected to be submitted to the Party Committee by July 5.

It is important to note that the power of attorney for pension collection allows beneficiaries to authorize someone else to receive their monthly payments when they are unable to do so due to health issues or distance. The deadline for renewing such authorizations is June 30, and beneficiaries are encouraged to act promptly to avoid interruptions in their pension payments.

The current law stipulates that pension recipients can authorize others in writing to receive their benefits, with the authorization valid for a maximum of 12 months. This measure aims to prevent risks in payment distribution and ensure that the correct individuals receive their entitled benefits, especially considering that there are approximately 3.4 million beneficiaries, many of whom are elderly and may face difficulties accessing their payments.