Although having recorded certain achievements, Vietnam still needs to act more aggressively and create breakthroughs with an appropriate strategy.
Recovery and acceleration driver
The national digital transformation programme adopted by the Prime Minister in June 2020 regards the people at the centre of the transformation process. In the three pillars of national digital transformation, developing e-government aims to serve people better and lead national digital transformation, developing the digital economy aims to make the people wealthier and developing the digital society aims to make the people happier. The strategy also underlines the decisive role of awareness in digital transformation.
An organisation can carry out digital transformation right now by using available resources and technical systems to digitise all its information assets, restructure its operations, and transfer relationships from the traditional environment to the digital environment.
Every organisation needs to make the most use of opportunities to develop the digital government, digital economy and digital society, in which the early determination of a roadmap and acceleration of the digital transformation process are particularly important and are the opportunities to enhance the national position. Moving fast and early will help mobilise resources more easily. Going slowly and falling behind when digital transformation is already established will cause resources to become scarce and lead to a country missing its development opportunities.
The next step is changing the way of doing thanks to data and digital technologies. In the past two years of COVID-19, many cities in the world have been determined to accelerate digital transformation, regarding it as an important solution for sustainable development. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung affirmed that digital transformation has become a new driver for socio-economic development, helping to drive out the pandemic and stimulate economic recovery in Vietnam.
Digital transformation in 2021 has achieved initial encouraging results such as enhanced awareness of state agencies, enterprises and the entire people. Digital technology is gradually penetrating the activities of the Government and socio-economic activities. But many obstacles remain that need to be discussed and addressed.
Leadership responsibility
FPT General Director Nguyen Van Khoa stated that digital transformation is creating never-before-seen changes in all aspects of socio-economic life. However, the journey to build a digital economy and digital society is only at the beginning stage with many challenges ahead.
At a meeting of the National Committee on Digital Transformation in November 2021, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung reaffirmed that digital transformation is more of an institutional revolution than a technological revolution.
Therefore the Government must take the leading role in digital transformation, including the creation of digital institutions. The Government’s lead in spending on digital transformation will create a market for digital technology enterprises. The Government’s lead in spending on research into a number of fundamental technologies will provide an important impetus for successful digital transformation in Vietnam. Minister Hung emphasised that the most appropriate approach in a rapidly changing and unpredictable context is making small steps with a long-term vision.
Looking at the process of digital transformation in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the country has recorded certain achievements in digital transformation. The policies and legal documents on digital transformation are quite complete but there remains a gap between awareness and action, which needs much time to fill. Some ministries and localities, especially those in leadership positions, have not attached adequate importance to digital transformation.
The Prime Minister emphasised that if there is appropriate attention from those in leadership positions, all difficulties and obstacles will be addressed.
