Scene from the review of the draft Government Resolution on the development of digital citizens - Photo: VGP/DA
On the afternoon of January 13th, the Ministry of Justice organized an independent review council to assess the draft Government Resolution on the development of digital citizens.
According to information from the Ministry of Public Security , after three years of implementation, as of July 2025, Decision No. 06/QD-TTg dated January 6, 2022, approving the Project on developing applications of population data, identification and electronic authentication to serve national digital transformation in the period 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030 (Project 06) has basically achieved its fundamental objectives.
The results of Project 06 have contributed to Vietnam's significant progress in the United Nations' 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI), with Vietnam rising 15 places compared to 2022, reaching 71st position out of 193 member countries.
In Project 06, digital citizenship is identified as a fundamental element determining the success of digital transformation across all three pillars: digital government, digital economy , and digital society. To further enhance the achievements of Project 06, utmost attention must be paid to developing digital citizenship, ensuring a balance between enjoying rights and fulfilling obligations as citizens in the digital environment.
However, currently, the development of digital citizenship in Vietnam still faces certain limitations. Specifically: There remains a significant disparity in digital literacy between urban and rural areas, and between different population groups; the technological infrastructure and storage systems among ministries and agencies are not yet truly effective; and the popularization of digital infrastructure, especially the VNeID electronic identification system, still faces many difficulties due to a lack of preferential policies regarding taxes, fees, and charges to encourage people to shift their habits from the traditional to the digital environment.
Therefore, the Government's Resolution on the development of digital citizenship aims to establish the first unified and comprehensive legal framework in Vietnam on digital citizenship, clearly defining the legal status, benefits, and responsibilities of citizens when participating in the digital environment.
Simultaneously, it promotes the enhancement of digital capabilities, digital skills, and information security awareness for the entire population, narrowing the digital divide between urban and rural areas and different population groups, and addressing the practical "gap" between technological achievements and people's ability to use them.
To become a digital citizen, the draft Resolution stipulates that individuals must be granted an electronic identification account on the national identification application (VNeID); comply with the obligations of a digital citizen, participate in identification and authentication in the digital environment, be able to use public and digital services safely and legally, contribute data, participate in national digital transformation activities, and have been ranked as a digital citizen.
To encourage active citizen participation, the draft Resolution proposes a mechanism to recognize the level of active participation of citizens in the digital environment, linked to practical incentives. Based on the level of active development of digital skills, participation in public services, and other digital transactions, citizens will benefit from additional tax and fee reduction policies, such as 100% exemption of fees and charges for basic, essential administrative procedures related to personal rights or high-frequency administrative procedures; and a minimum 50% reduction of fees and charges for complex administrative procedures requiring high management costs.
The development and implementation of the "Digital Citizenship Score System" is linked to population data and electronic identity. Scores are calculated based on data updates, frequency of digital service usage, and contributions to the digital community. The score is linked to benefits and incentives related to taxes, fees, services, administrative procedures, and social welfare.
During the review, council members highly appreciated the necessity of the Government's resolution on the development of digital citizens. Some opinions suggested that dividing "digital citizens" into "active," "basic," and "general" groups to enjoy different levels of privileges could also lead to inequality. Technologically savvy individuals would have an advantage over others, even in the public sector.
Therefore, adjustments are needed to ensure harmony between enjoying rights and fulfilling obligations, providing people with the necessary tools and legal framework to live and work safely and effectively in the digital age…
Speaking at the review session, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tu emphasized the need to clarify the concept of "digital citizen," avoiding overlap with existing concepts; and to review regulations on citizens' obligations, ensuring they are appropriate and encourage, rather than mandate, citizens.
The drafting agency needs to clearly explain the implementation plan, the pilot roadmap, the summary, the refinement of the policy, and clarify the relationship between this Resolution and related laws such as the Law on Taxes, the Law on Fees and Charges, and the Law on Government Organization.
In cases where regulations fall under the authority of the Ministry of Finance or the Provincial People's Council, a full explanation of the legal basis and authority for issuance is required; clarification of financial resources, human resources, technical infrastructure, especially the exploitation and operation of existing digital platforms; assessment of gender and ethnic impacts, ensuring appropriate support mechanisms for vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities, avoiding the creation of a digital divide.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tu also stated that the use of concepts such as "points," "ranking," and "digital citizen classification" is creating many inconsistent interpretations. Therefore, the drafting agency should revise the approach to use terms like "threshold" or "incentive level" to avoid misunderstandings and ensure compliance with the Constitution.
Dieu Anh
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tao-lap-khuon-kho-phap-ly-thong-nhat-toan-dien-dau-tien-ve-cong-dan-so-102260113203101546.htm
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