1. The Prime Minister approved the ‘Strategy for E-government Development, with Orientation to a Digital Government’
The strategy, approved on June 15, 2021 for the period from 2021-2025, plays an essential role to boost digital transformation, especially digital government establishment, in Vietnam so that the country will belong to the top-50 and top-30 in the UN’s Index for E-government and Digital Government Development in 2025 and 2030 respectively.
2. The National Population Database was officially launched
Since July 1, 2021 the National Population Database has been in operation. This is one critical step in the establishment of an e-government, the reform of administrative procedures, the management task, and the building of specific databases for each ministry. All industries, ministries, localities, businesses, and individuals searching for information or carrying out administrative procedures can access this database using personal identification numbers.
3. Three major domestic mobile carriers were allowed to pilot Mobile Money
At the end of November 2021, the State Bank approved the 2-year Mobile Money pilot schemes of Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone nationwide. These programs are only effective for domestic transactions of small financial amounts to transfer money, pay for legal goods and service for daily life activities. Mobile Money aims at serving people without a bank account, residents in remote areas who have low bank service coverage.
4. PC-Covid, the national application for Covid-19 prevention and control, was launched
The app was co-developed by the three ministries of Health, Public Security, and Information & Communications under the Prime Minister’s direction on having one unified IT application for Covid-19 prevention and control tasks. PC-Covid can be downloaded for both Android and iOS operation systems.
This app has such useful features as issuing and managing personal QR codes and location QR codes, collecting health status declaration e-form, collecting traveling declaration e-form, receiving user feedbacks, displaying user’s Covid-19 vaccination and test information, tracking close contacts of Covid-19 infected cases, showing the updated risk map.
5. The Government establishes an online connection to all wards and towns nationwide
On August 29, 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in the meeting with 1,060 wards and towns of 20 provinces and cities requested that Viettel and VNPT quickly form an online link between the central Government and localities in wards and towns of the countries via nearly 2,600 stations. The job was done in three days despite many obstacles. On September 5, the Prime Minister was able to chair a national meeting for the local authorities of all 63 provinces and cities to discuss major Covid-19 prevention tasks.
6. The management platform for the largest vaccination campaign ever was launched
In July 2021, Viettel introduced the Covid-19 vaccination management platform to support the largest campaign in Vietnam, capable to update information of 5 million doses per day. The platform consists of four systems: ‘So Suc Khoe Dien Tu’ (Healthcare e-record) app, information portal for Covid-19 vaccination, support system for the national vaccination campaign, and management center for Covid-19 vaccination (MCC).
Thanks to centralized management, all information is synchronous and transparent. Citizens can use the platform to register for a shot or check their vaccination status online conveniently.
7. The Prime Minister became the chairman of the National Committee on Digital Transformation
On September 24, the National Committee on E-government was changed into the National Committee on Digital Transformation. This committee has 16 members, chaired by the Prime Minister. It is responsible for studying and preparing feasible proposals for the Government. It is also in charge of adopting policies, strategies, mechanisms to create a legal environment for the national digital transformation process in close relation with the current administrative reform, e-government and e-society establishment.
8. The Prime Minister launched the program ‘Internet and Computers for Students’
On September 12, 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh formally started this program to aid millions of poor students to continue their study online during the social distance time. The Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for carrying out the program, ensuring stable Internet connection via telecoms infrastructure upgrades and smart device distribution to poor students in areas under Directive No.16. In the long term, the program aims at mobilizing social resources to equip all teachers and students with proper equipment for online learning.
9. Axie Infinity successfully attracted large investment amounts and marked a global footprint for Vietnamese Blockchain games
In May 2021, the Blockchain game (play-to-earn) by Axie Infinity attracted the attention of the world and was able to gain a capital sum of US$152 million from Andreessen Horowitz Fund, with a company valuation of $3 billion. The game now welcomes 38,000 players per day and enjoy a total member quantity of over 2 million. After the success of this game, other domestic Blockchain game developers expressed their ambition to conquer this lucrative market.
10. Investment into innovative startups in Vietnam witnessed the most significant growth ever
In 2021, investments pouring into Vietnamese innovative startups reach over $1.35 billion despite the harsh Covid-19 pandemic. Hot fields that attract the most capital are financial technology (FinTech), Blockchain game, educational technology (EdTech), medical equipment and medicine, e-commerce. Vietnam now has around 3,800 startups, many of which are valued at over $100 million like VNG, VNLife, MoMo, Tiki, Topica Edtech.
