Bac Giang breaks through digital transformation

Youth Union members of Bac Giang province guide people to scan QR codes when visiting the Xuong Giang Victory Relic Site. (Photo: DANH LAM)

In Nghia Hung commune, Lang Giang district, digital transformation has entered every area of life. Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, a retired cadre in Giua village, shared: “My pension is now transferred directly to my account. I also manage my savings in the bank on my phone, which is both convenient and safe. Information about all village and hamlet work is quickly communicated via Zalo, and giving feedback is also easy.”

Thanks to the community digital technology team "going to every alley, knocking on every door", nearly 150 families in the village have become familiar with using smartphones to make transactions, look up information, or handle administrative procedures.

At the Bac Giang Provincial Employment Service Center, Ms. Vu Thi Men (born in 1998, Dong Viet Commune, Yen Dung) found her dream job after a long time working away from home. Participating in an online job transaction session, she was accepted by Hong Hai Science and Technology Group.

“I was surprised that I found a job near my home just through the phone screen,” said Ms. Men. Online transactions like this have connected thousands of workers with businesses.

At Nenh market, Viet Yen district, Ms. Le Thi Hoa, a merchant, happily talked about cashless payment: “Now customers scan QR codes, it’s very quick and convenient. No need to worry about small change anymore, and customers like it too.” From traditional markets to shopping malls, electronic payments have become popular, changing people’s transaction habits.

Bac Giang has risen strongly in the national digital transformation rankings. The Provincial Digital Transformation Index (DTI) has ranked in the top 10/63 provinces and cities for 3 consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022); in 2023, it will rank in the top 9/63 (exceeding the target set by the Resolution).

Regarding the results of the component index "Building and developing e-government, digital government" in administrative reform for 3 consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022), the province ranked 1/63. The Vietnam ICT Index in 2022 ranked 5/63. The PAR INDEX of Bac Giang province has been in the top 15 provinces in the country in recent years and increased in rank each year. The field of "Reforming the state apparatus" ranked 2nd in the country.

In administrative reform, Bac Giang also made its mark when it rose from 13th place (in 2020) to 4th place (in 2023), up 9 places in just 3 years. The province's digital economy contributes up to 47.81% of GRDP in 2023, with the information technology industry achieving revenue of more than 503,000 billion VND in 2024.

To achieve these achievements, in 2021, the Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 111/NQ-TU on digital transformation for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030, aiming to bring the province into the top 15 and then the top 10 of the country. This is one of the early thematic resolutions on digital transformation, demonstrating the strategic vision of the provincial leadership. In this resolution, the province clearly stated that 2% of the annual regular budget expenditure would be allocated for investment in digital transformation.

Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Nguyen Gia Phong commented: “The synchronization from the province to the grassroots level, linking digital transformation with administrative reform assessment has created great momentum. Leaders say what they do, closely directing each stage.”

It was this determination that helped Bac Giang overcome many initial barriers such as unsynchronized infrastructure, limited initial awareness of the people... The provincial government has invested heavily in digital infrastructure, with a budget of about 1,600 billion VND in the 2021-2025 period, reaching and exceeding the minimum of 2% of the regular budget each year.

A 4-level interconnected online meeting system, fiber optic internet covering 100% of households, and more than 1,700 security and traffic surveillance cameras across the province are concrete results from this investment.

Currently, Bac Giang is coordinating with the Academy of Posts and Telecommunications Technology to organize master's training courses and regular training courses for second degrees in information technology and digital transformation for officials in charge of information technology and digital transformation in departments, branches and localities. These measures gradually improve the quality of human resources, serving the task of maintaining and improving the province's digital transformation ranking.

Bac Giang has chosen practical breakthroughs to promote digital transformation. One of them is to build a set of digital transformation measurement indicators, helping the province monitor and accurately evaluate the progress of each agency and unit.

Mr. Nguyen Gia Phong added: “The index is like a compass, indicating where is weak, where is strong, so that leaders have a basis to make timely adjustments.” The “5 on-site” method (receiving, appraising, approving, stamping, and returning results on the spot) in handling administrative procedures is another bright spot, which has helped Bac Giang shorten processing time, increasing the rate of online records to 80.47% by 2023.

Integrating population data with the Administrative Procedure Information System is also a breakthrough. Bac Giang is among the first 10 provinces nationwide to implement this work, helping people to identify themselves only once to use many services.

In addition, initiatives such as building the "Bacgiang-C" application, an information system reflecting the situation in the area; the "3 no, 1 yes" model (no paperwork, no direct contact with one-stop officials, cashless payment, electronic results for citizens); deploying "Virtual Assistant" on Zalo OA; designing "Public Service Card" and applying QR code... have increased connectivity, creating convenience for people and businesses.

In the digital economy, the province has supported more than 140,000 businesses, cooperatives, and households to go online, generating hundreds of thousands of transactions worth nearly VND100 billion in two years. Mr. Tran Van Truong, owner of a furniture manufacturing business in Bac Giang city, said: “Thanks to the e-commerce platform, my revenue has doubled compared to the same period in 2023. The company has expanded its market without having to invest too much in promotion and introducing its capacity.”

Bac Giang's digital transformation journey is not just about numbers or rankings, but about real changes in life. From farmers selling lychees on social media platforms, small traders scanning QR codes, to young workers looking for jobs online... technology has become an indispensable part.

According to DANG GIANG/Nhan Dan Newspaper

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