Information-communications sector aims high in 2021

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) aims to basically complete the development of e-government in 2021, with the provision of online public services at level 4 and the completion of national databases on population and land, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung has said.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaking at the conference (Photo: VGP)
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaking at the conference (Photo: VGP)

“Make in Vietnam” ICT platforms will be further developed, he told an online conference held in Hanoi on January 12 to review the sector’s performance in 2020 and sketch out tasks for 2021.

The sector fulfilled many tasks in 2020 as well as in the 2015-2020 period.

Journalism planning has been designed and media agencies scrutinised. As of the end of 2020, Vietnam had 779 media agencies.

The media sector will be developed this year to fully cover events in society, creating consensus and social confidence and driving people’s aspirations for a strong country. The ratio of local people in remote areas accessing at least one form of media is expected to reach 95% in 2021 and 100% by 2025, he said.

Each Vietnamese is hoped to read 4.5 books in 2021 and 5-5.5 books a year by 2025, while the convergent newsroom model is to be applied to 75% of all media agencies in 2021 and 90% by 2025.

The minister said that the ratio of people accessing mobile broadband is expected to be over 80% in 2021 and 100% by 2025.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that 2020 was a special year given the unexpected difficulties but with spectacular progress made. Vietnam managed to overcome major challenges while strengthening national pride and people’s confidence in the Party and administration.

More importantly, the trust of Vietnamese people inside and outside of the country in the path towards national development was reinforced, he said, attributing the result to the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, and the engagement of the business community and people, especially those working in the information-communications sector.

He called on all IT companies to become involved in the programmes initiated by the Ministry of Information and Communications by discussing and seeking open platforms based on the practical demands of citizens.