Digital transformation must be substantive.

(HNMO) - On June 12, the Ministry of Information and Communications held an online conference to review state management activities for the second quarter of 2023 with provincial Departments of Information and Communications nationwide.

Overview of the quarterly meeting on state management in the second quarter of 2023 with the Departments of Information and Communications nationwide, held this morning, June 12th. Photo: Huy Duc.

At the conference, representatives from the Departments of Information and Communications of Bac Ninh, Bac Kan, and Ho Chi Minh City; and specialized information technology units under the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Science and Technology proposed several issues related to concentrated information technology zones, data sharing management, determining the rental price of information technology services, and issues related to the appraisal of basic design of information technology projects… These issues were clarified and answered by representatives from various departments and divisions, and leaders of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Regarding each area of state management, Deputy Minister Nguyen Huy Dung outlined several issues to be implemented in the coming period. These include independent experts from the United Nations evaluating and surveying online public services to support the UN's e- government assessment and ranking. Therefore, he requested that specialized units and provincial Departments of Information and Communications pay attention to implementing this content synchronously. Regarding data connectivity and sharing, he requested that provincial Departments of Information and Communications and specialized IT units of ministries and agencies immediately report any violations of data connectivity and sharing regulations to the National Digital Transformation Agency so that the Ministry of Information and Communications can send a direct reminder.

Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long requested that the Departments of Information and Communications in provinces and cities carefully review areas with weak signal coverage once again so that the Ministry can direct businesses to complete coverage by the end of this year. The Ministry's Inspectorate and the Telecommunications Department will work with localities to ensure the inspection objectives regarding the management of SIM cards nationwide are met. The Telecommunications Department is preparing to organize a specialized conference on shared telecommunications infrastructure and undergrounding of telecommunications infrastructure. Continuing the transition to IPv6 internet addresses is a crucial foundation for our future digital economy.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized several issues of state management that need immediate implementation.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung delivers the concluding remarks at the conference. Photo: Huy Duc.

Regarding the provision of public services, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized the need to achieve the goals of providing comprehensive public services so that citizens do not need to visit government offices, and the rate of online processing of public service applications should reach 95% by 2025. Along with this, the Ministry of Information and Communications will announce criteria and standards for digital communes and digital districts for provinces to implement. The Ministry of Information and Communications will also have to become a digital ministry – forming a model for digital governance.

Regarding smart cities, the Minister instructed Deputy Minister Nguyen Huy Dung to standardize a number of criteria for building smart cities for localities to implement. Emphasis should be placed on replicating successful models using shared platforms in various localities.

Regarding digital infrastructure serving national digital transformation, the Ministry of Information and Communications will issue standards for mobile broadband and fixed broadband speeds. Simultaneously, provincial Departments of Information and Communications will develop annual plans for the development of passive telecommunications infrastructure in their respective areas. Following telecommunications infrastructure, the Ministry will also establish standards for data infrastructure and cloud infrastructure to facilitate the development of these services by domestic enterprises.

Emphasis will also be placed on equipping the entire population with digital skills, through online training via the OneTouch platform, while allowing localities to proactively conduct training on their own topics.

Besides outlining the sector's implementation tasks, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung also took time to address the evolving understanding of digital transformation. According to the Minister, it's time to implement it in a substantive way, meaning creating value for the people and for the country's development.

"Digital transformation is key to rapid development because the digital economy grows 3-4 times faster than GDP growth (currently, the digital economy contributes 15% of GDP); it is the driving force for Vietnam's growth in the long and medium term; aiming for Vietnam to become a developed, high-income country by 2045," Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized.

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