Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presides over the third meeting of the Government’s steering committee for science – technology development, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06 in Hanoi on July 20. (Photo: VNA)
Speaking at the third meeting of the Government’s steering committee for science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06 in Hanoi on July 20, Chinh said science and technology must become central to national development and state reform.
He praised the efforts of ministries, localities, businesses and the public but noted that current outcomes remain below expectations. He called for bolder, faster action to implement key Party and Government resolutions, particularly in shifting governance from a management-based to a citizen- and business-centric model.
Chinh highlighted recent progress, including the nationwide rollout of 5G, improved mobile internet speeds ranking among the global top 20, and rapid implementation of the national data centre. He noted advances in e-invoicing and tax management, with 2.1 billion e-invoices issued by over 109,800 companies and business households.
Vietnam’s digital economy is estimated to have reached USD 78.1 billion in digital product exports in 2024, up 20.5 per cent year-on-year. A credit package worth VND 500 trillion (approximately USD 19.1 billion) has been allocated to support innovation, technology, and strategic infrastructure. E-commerce also grew by 22 to 25 per cent.
Participants at the event (Photo: VNA)
The Prime Minister said digital government has made progress, with online services improving and shifting toward proactive engagement with citizens and businesses. Project 06, aimed at using resident data and e-identification to streamline services, has delivered tangible public benefits and supported social and economic development.
To seize what he called a “golden opportunity” for national transformation, Chinh stressed the need to integrate science, technology, and digitalisation into government restructuring, with citizens and businesses at the centre. He called for legal and institutional reforms as a “breakthrough of breakthroughs” to unlock innovation potential.
Chinh ordered the formation of an inter-sectoral task force to help Vietnamese firms acquire foreign tech companies with critical intellectual property. He also set a target of attracting at least 100 top international experts through preferential policies.
Key directives included developing 116 national and sector-specific databases, preparing smart city plans for six centrally governed cities, and expanding 5G and satellite internet nationwide. He also called for a strategy to increase the digital economy’s share of GDP to 20 per cent by the end of 2025.
Project 06, he said, remains foundational for digital government. Of 61 essential services, 40 must be integrated into the VNeID national platform as soon as possible. He set 2025 targets of reducing administrative processing time, compliance costs, and business conditions by 30 per cent each, with all services available nationwide, regardless of provincial boundaries.
Chinh emphasised the importance of uninterrupted service delivery during administrative restructuring and called for strict attention to information security. He also urged ministries and agencies to develop practical, result-oriented project proposals and promote digital literacy among both public officials and citizens.
