The 3rd Information and Communication Technology Summit of Vietnam in 2013 (Vietnam ICT Summit), themed “Information technology – the platform of new developing methods to improve overall national competitiveness” recently took place in Hanoi. It is a venue for senior leaders in the key areas involved in information technology – communications. On the sidelines of the summit, Vietnam Business Forum had an interview with Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong surrounding this topic. Anh Phuong reports.
The summit was honoured to welcome Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. “It can be said that through the two previous summits, Vietnam has earned a lot of prestige and proposed recommendations on building guidelines and policies of the State in the field of information technology and communications,” assessed Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hong.
What is your assessment of the actual development of information technology in Vietnam?
Promoting development and application of information technology has been one of the most important driving forces of development, contributing to the profound changes in economic and social life. For over 10 years, information technology has become a key economic sector with high growth rate and efficiency, directly contributing nearly 7 percent of national GDP, while helping promote many other industries and socio-economic sectors. Telecommunications infrastructure and telecommunications services of Vietnam have gradually grown to regional and world level. The deployment of e-government in Vietnam rose to No. 4 among the nations in Southeast Asia. According to the survey of e-government by the United Nations in 2012, Vietnam ranked 83rd out of 190 countries assessed in the survey. With this result, Vietnam rose 7 spots from 2010. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is behind only to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. Vietnam was ranked in the group of 10 most attractive countries for software outsourcing and the 2nd largest partner of Japan. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has been shortlisted as 10 emerging cities for software outsourcing.
In addition, through the agenda of the Summit, the Government as well as related agencies also found that information technology is a special development advantage of Vietnam. Because Vietnam has a young, abundant and well-trained workforce. Specifically, in June 2013, the Government approved a master plan to simplify the administrative procedures, citizenship papers and population database from 2013 to 2020 to reform the basic organisation and management activities of the State, to facilitate all transactions of the people in all areas of social life.
In your opinion, will IT be the shortest way for Vietnam to catch up with the trend of developed countries in the future?
According to experts, telecommunications infrastructure and telecommunications services of Vietnam gradually develop to regional and world’s level. Vietnam has a position on the world IT map. However, from now, the government agencies and the business community need to raise awareness and grasp thoroughly the viewpoint that IT is a platform to develop new methods for management agencies of all levels, socio-economic sector, in every business and society. Development and application of IT in production, business and management aim to enhance overall national competitiveness. In addition, the industry also needs to consider seven tasks outlined by the Prime Minister in the Summit as “guideline” for the path of development for Vietnam’s IT industry including:
The first is to raise awareness that IT is as a platform to develop new methods for management agencies of all levels, socio-economic sectors, every business and society. Development and application of IT in business and management aim to enhance national competitiveness, as this is the shortest way for Vietnam to keep up with other countries.
The second is to build national infrastructure, national information infrastructure, promulgate national standards information, ensure security, inter-connectivity, synchronisation and focus on security and national security information; promote research activities, do all the know-how, new technology solutions, give priority to training and development of IT human resources of each sector, each business the country; build policy mechanism, facilitate and ensure IT applications to become a prerequisite in every industry, every sector, every project, in the development process; create a favourable environment for the development of the IT market, support business development, create firm domestic market and build competitiveness to expand to overseas markets; boost international cooperation, mobilise resources, especially the resources of Vietnamese in foreign countries for IT development; regard application and development of IT as the important task of the entire political system and society. The heads of all departments, agencies and units and have direct responsibility for implementing effective IT applications for the purpose of rapid and sustainable development.
The former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Yukio Hatoyama, attended this summit. What has Vietnam learned from the Japanese experience?
Through this summit, those who are responsible in the IT industry of Vietnam have shared and learned precious experiences of Japan. Specifically, what Vietnam can learn is how to manage the development of the IT industry in Japan. For example, though facing economic difficulties, the Japanese government has always believed in the necessity of constantly increasing the budget for science and technology. Besides, to implement a systematic policy according to plan in order to promote science and technology, the Japanese government established Basic Science and Technology Plan which is made once in 5 years and is in the 4th stage. In addition, another different experience that Japan shared with us to develop IT infrastructure that is, when the Internet began popular, the rate of using broadband is low due to high costs. To turn Japan into a leading IT country, the government has formed Japanese electronics strategy (e-Japan), to reduce Internet access fee to one third compared to the previous four years while increasing the number of high-speed Internet subscribers by 20 times. As a result, Japan’s IT infrastructure is deployed very quickly. Besides, to bring IT into the hands of consumers, the Japanese government has a policy to generalize IT to the population, which means ICT connects every corner of daily life, creating social connection where all citizens can access network anytime, anywhere and from any device.
Mr Tran Huu Linh, Director of E-Commerce and Information Technology Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade
The enhancement of competitiveness for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is very necessary. However, in reality there are so many small businesses that the concept of enhancing competitiveness is still vague and strange. However, with information technology, we can totally do that. For example, in a famous hotel reservation website named Agoda, when we type keyword “Cua Lo”, there appear 32 hotels with full service information. While there are thousands of hotels in Vietnam and Cua Lo beach is not too well known, but with such so much information, obviously it is very convenient for the customers. And for small businesses such as the type of hotels in Cua Lo, promoting information on this web site is really very useful with very low cost. Through this example we see that the benefits of IT for Vietnamese SMEs.
In terms of state management, in 2013, Ministry of Industry and Trade is determined to create a legal environment for electronic commerce continue to grow and contribute more to the national economy. Recently, the Prime Minister signed a decree issued on electronic commerce and it will be implemented in July 2013.
Dr Nguyen Cong Binh, Deputy Director of the General Department of Customs
According to the actual duties, customs has close relations with IT jobs. As everyone knows, in the context of the current difficulty, export registered businesses are “dying” while a lot of businesses are established. Specifically, we are currently working regularly with about 50,000 import and export businesses, and the number of the customs declaration papers increased to nearly 6 million so without information technology we cannot solve the huge workload. Currently, the customs service is also moving towards the establishment of e-customs regime, expected to implement nationwide by July 2013. The sector also has information links with 200 cross border gates across the country, creating the conditions for business to enumerate customs declaration documents quickly and conveniently. And in one minute, business has received feedback signal of the authorities. That is the big advantage of this type of electronic documents, as applied by the supporting tool by IT sector.
Dr Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA)
The objective of the ICT Summit 2013 is to contribute to innovative thinking, increasing awareness for all industries, agencies and civil society to identify IT as the foundation for developing new methods, towards a knowledge society, improvement of national competitiveness and contributing to the rapid and sustainable growth. IT application is required in all areas, all investment projects, firstly in administrative reform, transportation, health, education and urban development. These requirements should be institutionalised by legislation. This is the shortest way for Vietnam to have the opportunity to catch up with developed countries.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
