Vietnam seeks to further develop digital economy

According to experts from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), digital transformation will bring about a 1.1% annual increase in GDP growth for Vietnam.

The experts held that the challenge for domestic technology businesses is how to learn, update and leverage the advantages of the global IT industry, and at the same time strive to produce made-in-Vietnam high-quality technology products and services led by Vietnamese people.

The Government’s recent digital transformation efforts, including the establishment of the National Public Service Portal and the Government Reporting Information System, have proved effective, saving time and costs for citizens and businesses, while contributing to preventing corruption.

According to the draft National Digital Transformation Programme, Vietnam aims to enter the top 50 countries in e-government and ensure that the digital economy accounts for 30% of the country's GDP by 2030.

Chinh underlined that to this end, the Government, the Ministry of Information and Communications and IT companies should work closely together to build a strong national digital infrastructure system, including the hard system comprising 5G services, and data connectivity and storage, as well as the soft system of national database and open data.

The Government should promptly issue a set of common standards for the national population database and data for particular sectors, he said.

Chinh said that the Government can coordinate with IT firms to speed up the implementation and popularisation of shared platforms in order to optimise costs, diversify and maximise information sources and support businesses’ operations.

The expert also underlined the need for an institution infrastructure with policies matching the digital society.

Consistent policies and regulations are also necessary to shape the digital economy, including those related to cross-border data flows, data security, cybersecurity, customer protection, e-commerce and taxation, he added.

Many experts asserted that initially, the Government should continue to complete the institutions, policies and legal corridors regarding information security, cybersecurity, cybercrime, and the protection of children on the cyberspace, as well as human resources in the field.

In the long run, the Government can collaborate with IT companies to establish a cybersecurity cooperation centre, aiming to coordinate cyberspace security, giving cyber-attack alerts, and participating in joint cyber defence exercises. The centre can also give training courses to enhance the capacity of officials in the field of cybersecurity and safety, they added.

According to Chinh, the Government should open the door wider for technology businesses to attract talents and resources. At the same time, it should delegate projects related to the country's digital infrastructure such as data centres, telecommunications infrastructure, and smart cities, to the private sector, he said, adding that Vietnam should turn itself into a Digital Hub for the Asia-Pacific region, serving as a central point for data transfer and telecommunications infrastructure connectivity in the region.