Taizhou city streamlines services using virtual windows

The Taizhou municipal data bureau has recently rolled out the use of remote virtual windows in government service centers across all the areas administered by the city, located in East China's Jiangsu province.

That's been done to resolve the inconvenience being faced by  businesses and residents in accessing government services across the region.

These virtual windows provide service modes of remote window submissions and full online assistance.

They can serve as both receivers and initiators. For instance, they can handle business for non-local residents via screen-to-screen interactions, or initiate video calls with service centers in other regions to complete transactions remotely.

Local resident Tang Ping needed to mortgage a property in Zhangjiagang but wanted to avoid long-distance travel. She visited the Jiangyan district government service center in Taizhou, where staff initiated a remote call with the Suzhou Wujiang district center. The process was completed in real-time.

"It's incredibly convenient to handle everything without traveling hundreds of kilometers," Tang said.

Taizhou has established eight remote virtual window service sites to date. They offer 19 types of services across six departments, including market access, real estate registration, and social security services.

In just over a month, the virtual windows have processed 23 transactions with a 100 percent immediate completion rate and user satisfaction.

Zhang Hui, deputy director of Taizhou's data bureau, noted that virtual windows simplify complex procedures, reduce long distances, cut mailing costs and shorten processing times.

The bureau plans to expand the services to include cross-provincial transactions in transportation, civil affairs and taxation, allowing easier access for businesses and residents in the Yangtze River Delta.