The National Committee on E-Government has been restructured and renamed the National Committee on Digital Transformation. The Committee has 16 members, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
The Committee is responsible for researching, directing, coordinating, and proposing to the government guidelines, strategies, mechanisms, and policies to create a legal environment that is conducive to national digital transformation. The Committee is closely linked with administrative reform, building and developing e-government, a digital economy and society, and smart cities. Overall, it aims to facilitate the implementation of the fourth industrial revolution in the country.
According to a press release, it also has the task of helping government ministries, agencies, and localities implement digital transformation goals, tasks, and solutions. As well as coordinate the implementation of interdisciplinary strategies, mechanisms, schemes, and projects for digitisation. The Committee will jointly coordinate the implementation of the National Digital Transformation Programme and monitor the execution of the National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Prime Minister also decided to establish a working group to assist the Committee based at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the group is also led by the MIC Minister, Nguyen Manh Hung. The working group includes representatives of department-level officials from a number of ministries and agencies, and leaders and experts from major telecom groups like VNPT, Viettel, Vietnam Post, FPT. Also, some local and international experts on e-government, digital economies, and smart cities. The working group is allowed to mobilise domestic and foreign consultants to perform assigned tasks.
Approved in June 2020, the National Digital Transformation Programme to 2025, with a vision to 2030, set the target of turning Vietnam into a digital, stable, and prosperous country that pioneers in testing new technologies and models. It will fundamentally and comprehensively renovate government management and administration activities. It aims to modernise business production and develop a safe, humane, and wide digital environment by 2030.
The National Digital Transformation Programme intends to create a digital government, economy, and society, as well as form Vietnamese digital technology enterprises that are capable of competing in global markets. Apart from the Prime Minister as its Chairman, the Committee has two Vice-Chairs, including the Standing Vice-Chair who is the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Information And Communication, and the Minister of Information and Communications.
The Committee also has members who are the ministers of public security, science, and technology; finance, planning, and investment; home affairs; health; education and training; industry and trade; construction; and agriculture and rural development. The head of the government office, the governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, and the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications are also involved.
As OpenGov Asia had reported earlier this month, Vietnam aims to be among the top 50 countries in the ICT Development Index as early as 2025, and its digital economy is hoped to account for one-third of the country’s GDP by the end of the decade, instead of only 5%. To achieve this, Vietnam must upgrade infrastructure, encourage the application of digital technology, and attract investment to create conditions for small businesses to participate in the digital economy. Vietnam also needs to equip workers with digital skills to help them become more dynamic in adapting to new technologies.