The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has announced plans to create a safe national digital infrastructure and new spaces for digital economic growth as well as bolster e-governance. These goals are a part of the Ministry’s action plan to implement a national strategy for the fourth industrial revolution by 2030.
Under the plan, by 2025, MIC aims to have Vietnam’s e-government index be among the four leading countries in Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations ranking. Vietnam also targets placing among the top 40 countries on the Global Cybersecurity Index of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
To this end, the Ministry will focus on improving institutional quality and policy-making capacities and developing databases and connection infrastructure. It will improve human resources, invest in the research and development of priority technologies, and expand international cooperation and integration in science. It will also enhance cybersecurity awareness and responsibilities.
By 2025, the country aims for the proportion of the digital economy to reach 20% of GDP, and the proportion of the digital economy in each industry or field to reach at least 10%. By the year, over 50% of the population must have at least one electronic payment account, and the country will deploy 5G services in at least three smart cities in three key northern, central, and southern economic regions. By 2030, Vietnam wants to have finished building a digital government. It intends to enter the top 30 countries in the world in terms of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index and the proportion of the digital economy will reach 30% of GDP.
In May, the Deputy Prime Minister signed a directive regarding e-government development towards digital governance and transformation nationwide. Despite encouraging results, major bottlenecks remain in the implementation of the work, specifically data sharing. As OpenGov Asia reported, the government has yet to ensure higher levels of cybersecurity and human resources and outline budgets for information technology applications and e-government building.
To address this, several relevant agencies have been tasked to prepare infrastructure and fulfil cyber security conditions to connect national databases. They have been instructed to use data for the implementation of online public services by December. Ministries and agencies must work to improve the capacity and quality of services and expand connectivity, surveillance, and access control over data transmission networks by September. Agencies have also been asked to increase efforts for IPv6 adoption, work on information systems, and establish a communal digital technology network. The evaluation of digital government operations and digital transformation progress at agencies and organisations will be conducted annually in December.
The agencies are required to devise measures to encourage the use of digital signatures for administrative procedures. The government will organise training for at least 100,000 civil servants by December to meet personnel demands. Agencies have also been ordered to promote the development and use of ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ digital products and services, with the deadline for assessment set in December each year.
