The HCMC Digital Transformation Consulting and Support Center (DXCenter) under Quang Trung Software City Development Co. Ltd. – one of the units providing solutions to promote digital transformation for small and medium enterprises (SME) – has recently conducted a training course on “Digital Technology Application in Business Environment” for 30 enterprises sited in HCMC.
This happened following the module “AI Application in Business” designed for business leaders and management personnel, helping them access modern management models and digital transformation promotion tools.
In October 2024, District 12 Business Association and DXCenter also organized a training course on “Model Transformation - Building, Managing, and Operating Businesses in the Digital Environment”.
Director Phan Phuong Tung of DXCenter shared that the unit has a full range of models to support digital transformation to serve economic development for many units and business types. Their digital transformation support models are “tailored” to suit the specific characteristics of SMEs.
The municipal Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Industry and Trade also have many collaborative activities to promote e-commerce and support SMEs. Currently, the city has over 71 percent of SMEs using digital platforms, over 80.2 percent using electronic contracts and electronic payments.
According to the Southeast Asian Digital Economy Report 2024 released by Google, Temasek (an investment company headquartered in Singapore), and global consulting organization Bain & Company, Vietnam's digital economy maintains double-digit growth, primarily driven by e-commerce and online tourism.
The e-commerce sector has grown by 18 percent compared to 2023, with total merchandise value reaching US$22 billion, becoming the main growth driver of Vietnam's digital economy. Vietnam's online tourism witnessed a 16-percent growth compared to last year, reaching $5 billion in 2024. Therefore, the city should continue to exploit the strengths of e-commerce and online tourism.
“Vietnam's digital economy has strong long-term growth potential thanks to solid internal factors such as a young, tech-savvy population and dynamic startup ecosystem. Temasek is committed to deploying catalyst capital for Vietnam's digital economy to achieve sustainable growth, ensuring prosperity for all generations,” Head Fock Wai Hoong of Southeast Asia at Temasek, observed.
Joining the efforts of the country, HCMC is accelerating the development of digital government, aiming to
- fundamentally bring the city's administrative activities onto digital platforms by 2025;
- continue to persistently build digital data as a foundation for successful digital transformation and digital economy development;
- promote digital transformation linked to digital economy development goals in the city's key sectors;
- promote e-commerce, considering it one of the important solutions for digital economy development in the city.
The city has also identified 8 sectors to promote digital transformation with clear objectives, contributing to digital economy development, while organizing the building of digital data for industries, businesses, and city residents over many years to develop the digital economy.
Director Lam Dinh Thang of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications stated that the city's digital transformation program aims to become one of the top 5 localities in digital government by 2025, with the digital economy accounting for 25 percent of GRDP.
Subsequently, by 2030, it will continue to fully establish the data foundation for smart city development, promoting the development of three local digital transformation pillars including digital government, digital economy, and digital society.
Statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications reveal that the digital economy’s contribution to HCMC’s GRDP in 2023 was 21.5 percent, an increase of 2.84 percent compared to 2022. Using this methodology, the city is expected to reach its target of 25 percent digital economy by 2025.
Particularly, e-commerce is the sector with the largest contribution to the city’s GRDP among service industries, accounting for 14 percent. HCMC is currently a vibrant e-commerce market with a scale and growth rate of 37 percent.
