A 24-hour smart government hall officially began operation in Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on June 23. 

Covering an area of 305 square meters, it is the first of its kind that is independent of the local government service hall in the province. The hall is divided into two parts – the 24-hour self-service government service area and the smart government service area. It is equipped with 20 self-service terminals.

Eleven functions are available at the smart workbench, such as declaration, certification, printing and online consultation. It is connected to the smart file cabinet and can share information with the local government service hall through cloud technology.

The 24-hour smart government hall in Qidong is equipped with several self-service terminals, a smart workbench and professional staff offering guidance. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

A resident surnamed Zhou spent less than 20 minutes dealing with three items of business that day.

"It's easy to operate, even for a 40-year-old like me," said Zhou. "My friends from other cities can also now handle their affairs here at non-working times."

To date, a total of 1,726 items of business can be handled in the hall, including 126 for declaration, 1,594 for self-service inquiry and printing, and six for convenience services. As of 5 pm on June 23, the smart hall had dealt with more than 50 businesses.

The 24-hour hall breaks through the constraints of traditional working hours and provides residents with day-long convenience. Accordingly, more services for public benefits are expected to be brought there in the near future.