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Participants in the meeting about promoting the digital economy in HCMC |
In the opening speech, Director of the HCMC Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang stated that HCMC is holding a great desire to regain its leading position in the country, and thus is enthusiastically implementing Resolution 98.
“Lately, HCMC has put in considerable efforts to promote its digital economy so that by 2025, this sector will have accounted for 20 percent of the city’s GRDP and doubled five years later. The city also aims at pushing its targets to be higher than the national average by 5-10 percent. Therefore, all suggestions and opinions from experts and businesses on this matter are wholeheartedly welcomed”, said Director Thang.
At present, HCMC is adopting seven measures to boost digital economy development, including an upgrade of the digital infrastructure, hi-speed Internet, and telecoms networks; an efficiency boost for digital enterprises; a synchronous launch between the city’s digital economy and other meaningful schemes; a development of useful databases for sharing with the private sector.
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Director Lam Dinh Thang of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications is delivering his speech |
Deputy Director Vo Minh Thanh of the HCMC Information and Communications Department shared that despite having great potential for the growth of its digital economy, HCMC still faces three major obstacles including insufficient awareness about this economy type, inconsistent measurement tools, and a lack of policies as well as resources to support small and medium-sized enterprises.
Head Tran Minh Tuan of the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society (under the Information and Communications Ministry) commented that HCMC is in need of new space for its development, and digital economy is able to fulfill that. To reach the goal of its digital economy accounting for 40 percent of its GRDP, HCMC has to collaborate with neighboring regions.
“HCMC also needs to order educational institutes to train capable human resources for the digital economy and the digital transformation process”, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Hung Son from the University of Economics and Law (Vietnam National University – HCMC).
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Tuan is sharing various valuable ideas on the matter |
Deputy Head of the HCMC Institute for Development Studies Pham Binh An added that even at the first stage, the digital economy in HCMC has gained impressive results, especially in the fields of e-commerce and e-payment.
“Resolution 98 allows HCMC to use the sandbox mode for policies and mechanisms about digital economy, which is critical to identify suitable mechanisms for the city to formally apply in the digital economy”, stated Deputy Head Binh An.
The meeting received several recommendations from technological businesses and organizations that support digital transformation.
