The sweet fruits of digital transformation

Looking back at Ho Chi Minh City's digital transformation efforts in 2023, the Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dinh Thang, summarized it with two pieces of good news: The city ranked second out of 63 provinces and cities in the National Digital Transformation Index; and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City was awarded the ASOCIO 2023 prize for Outstanding Digital Government by the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO)…

Paying for products in person at Fahasa bookstore in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: HOANG HUNG

This is a recognition of the city's digital transformation efforts, and it is the people of Ho Chi Minh City who are reaping the rewards of this transformation.

1. Needing a certificate of single status to sell his motorbike, Mr. Pham Hong Vinh (residing in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) followed the instructions to fill out the available forms on the Online Public Service Portal and selected Ben Nghe Ward as the administrative procedure processing location. In less than 5 minutes, he received an email notifying him that his application had been received, and after only 2 days of waiting, he received the certificate of single status as requested.

“The great thing about this method is that I know the progress of my application at each stage through text messages from the ward's system. Right before receiving the official results, I even got to see the certificate of single status as a PDF file with a red stamp, and if I wanted a paper copy, I just had to pay an additional 3,000 VND,” Mr. Pham Hong Vinh shared, expressing his satisfaction with the government's encouragement of people to complete procedures online. The online communication demonstrates the spirit of digital transformation, not just the application of basic technology as before.

The procedure for issuing a Certificate of Singleness is just one of many administrative procedures that have been digitized since the widespread implementation of the digital transformation initiative in Ho Chi Minh City. Administrative procedures are interconnected down to the ward, commune, and town levels thanks to the Online Public Service Portal, saving citizens time and travel costs. To achieve this value, Ho Chi Minh City has developed numerous digital transformation programs and put into operation many digital platforms serving citizens, businesses, and the city government's operational work. These include: the city's digital governance system; the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Map system; the system for receiving, responding to, and processing citizen feedback and suggestions via the 1022 hotline; and the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Transformation Index (HCM DTI) assessment system… These can be considered part of Ho Chi Minh City's current digital transformation landscape.

2. With a large metropolis like Ho Chi Minh City, home to approximately 13 million people, countless urban issues arise daily. If people encounter problems or want to report specific grievances, where can they turn for help? To quickly receive information from citizens and businesses, the city has established the 1022 Information Portal. This is an interactive platform and the main communication channel between citizens and the government, with 5 receiving channels and 15 areas for reporting. Information from citizens, businesses, and organizations is immediately forwarded to the relevant units for processing according to their functions and responsibilities. “I like the 1022 system because the regulations for receiving, classifying, processing, and responding to results are very specific, clear, and consistent. Furthermore, receiving information is simple, convenient, and fast through various forms such as phone calls, text messages, and social media platforms…,” commented Ms. Hai Ninh (District 6).

As someone who travels frequently, Mr. Thanh Lam (residing in Go Vap District) highly rates the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Map System. The map offers clear benefits for residents when traveling within the city. “The digital map provides real-time traffic information, helping me understand the surrounding environment and determine my location. Thanks to this, I can avoid traffic congestion and adjust my travel schedule,” shared a frequent user of the digital map about his “travel companion.” According to Mr. Lam, the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Map is very convenient because it also provides a mobile application platform, allowing data collection from various sources and formats, including taking photos, recording audio, taking text notes, or entering data from the field… This is what he appreciates most compared to other applications.

Serving and satisfying Ms. Hai Ninh, Mr. Thanh Lam, and many other citizens is the goal of digital transformation in Ho Chi Minh City. According to Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc, the city has the responsibility to implement digital transformation effectively, ensuring the sustainable development of technology applications and leaving no one behind. Digital transformation is a long-term process that requires the efforts and cooperation of the entire political system, businesses, and citizens, especially the determination of the heads of agencies and units.

In its digital transformation efforts, Ho Chi Minh City identifies data as the foundation for digital transformation. Therefore, since 2018, the city's e-government architecture has prioritized data exploitation as a key task, and a shared data warehouse as a comprehensive solution to bridge the gap between the current state and the target architecture by 2025. The city has focused on three main data groups: Citizen data: administrative data, civil registration, health, education , and social security; Financial and business data: aggregated and statistical data on budget revenue and expenditure, public investment management, and individual business households; and Land and urban data: land data, geographic information system data, construction industry data, transportation data, and planning and architecture data. To date, these data have been exploited and applied to Ho Chi Minh City's digital platforms.

BA TAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/qua-ngot-chuyen-doi-so-post724467.html