Coming to the one-stop counter of Phu Nhuan District to submit administrative documents, 69-year-old Vo Thi Hanh was initially quite hesitant about using technology.
However, she was quickly assisted by a young member of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. After 30 minutes, she was able to complete signing up for an account, submit necessary documents online, and integrate her social security information into the app.
Assisting citizens with online public services is just one of many activities that HCMC’s youth are undertaking to support the city's digital transformation.
During a meeting with young people to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Prime Minister emphasized the role of youth in digital transformation with the question: "What is the core issue for young people to demonstrate their pioneering role in the country's digital transformation?"
In response, a series of schemes have been launched nationwide to mobilize the contribution of the young to the national digital transformation process like “Youth Pioneers in Digital Transformation”.
In HCMC alone, young people have been involved in almost every aspect of this critical process, ranging from assisting in administrative reform and data digitization, guiding citizens in accessing and using online public services. They have also visited markets and streets to guide food stalls, grocery stores, and vegetable stalls in digital transformation by installing applications and scanning QR codes to reduce the use of cash.
However, despite these positive activities, the leading role of youth still seems somewhat vague.
In various forums, young people in the city have expressed their desire to contribute more to the digital transformation goals of HCMC and the whole country in general. This group also expects to be recognized, supported, and facilitated by relevant agencies so that they have opportunities to propose creative ideas about digital transformation, and to be invested in improving their digital capacity and digital culture.
There are now around 100 universities and colleges, accommodating millions of students. The municipal leaders have affirmed that they always encourage and provide favorable conditions for the young, especially students, to join in community activities. The authorities have simultaneously run suitable schemes to aid startup activities of the young here compared to the whole country.
With these conditions, there is every right to expect and hope that the contributions of young people to the digital transformation of HCMC in particular and the whole country will increase in both quantity and quality.
