The Vietnamese information technology and telecom sectors have witnessed significant growth over the year, emerging as a “bright spot amid the COVID-19 pandemic”. Local companies have quickly optimised opportunities to move ahead and develop sustainably.
Digital economic development has been identified as a key task and a breakthrough solution for the country’s general socio-economic development in the coming time.
In a bid to capitalise on this trend and ensure that country remains strong in the sector, the government has set up a committee to oversee progress. The working group is responsible for advising and assisting the Minister of Information and Communications in implementing tasks related to promoting digital economic development.
This initiative is in line with the Government Office’s Notice 339 dated September 22, 2020, at the behest of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the online conference of the National Committee for E-Government. The Ministry of Information and Communications was assigned to coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to formulate a project on Vietnam’s digital economic development to 2025, with a vision to 2030.
At the meeting with units under the Ministry of Information and Communications on the implementation of digital economic development tasks in early February 2021, Deputy Minister Nguyen Huy Dung pointed out that MIC’s relevant agencies need to be proactive in promoting digital economic development.
This vision requires the coordination of relevant ministries and agencies. As the agency performing the state management of post, telecommunications, IT application and digital transformation, safety, network security, ICT industry, press and communications, MIC will play a fundamental role in this process. The team has three deputy heads, all senior directors from key portfolios. The team itself consists of six members, also senior officials in vital sectors.
The Department of Enterprise Management will preside over the committee and will coordinate with the Department of Informatics, Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC)and related organisations. The task force will:
- conduct research and compile reports on the digital economy, clarify the content, management requirements, methods and models, and international experiences.
- propose new content, set indicators and measurement methods and measure the contribution of the digital economy to GDP and GRDP
- study and develop a project to support organizations and enterprises in implementing digital transformation and the Vietnam Digital Economic Development Project to 2025, with a vision to 2030
- advise, propose and report to the Minister and the Ministry’s leaders on the coordination between MIC and domestic and foreign agencies and organizations to jointly promote Vietnam’s digital economic development.
The digital economy is one of the three pillars of the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister on June 3, 2020. The program defines a vision to 2030 when Vietnam will become a digital, stable and prosperous country, pioneering in the experimentation of new technologies and models; fundamentally and comprehensively renovating the management and administration activities of the Government, production and business activities of enterprises, and the way of living and working of the people, developing a safe, humane and wide digital environment.
In terms of digital economic development, the National Digital Transformation Program has set a target for digital economy to account for 20% of GDP by 2025 and 30% by 2030. The proportion of the digital economy in each sector and field will be at least 10% in 2025 and at least 20% in 2030. Under the plan, Vietnam will be in the group of 50 leading IT countries (IDI) and the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), the group of 35 countries leading in innovation (GII) in 2025. By 2030, the position of Vietnam in the rankings would be in the top 30.
