The HCM City Economic Forum 2022 will take place from April 14-16 under the theme of “Digital economy: Driving force for growth and development of Ho Chi Minh City in future”.

The forum will offer a venue for experts, State management agencies and businesses to meet and exchange views on models, solutions and resources to realise the city's digital transformation plan synchronously and effectively.

Speaking at a press conference introducing the event on March 28, Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan, who is head of the organising board, said that the forum is an annual international event chaired by the People’s Committee to collect ideas and recommendations of both domestic and foreign experts and speakers on the city’s socio-economic development fields in general and its key projects, targets and programmes in particular.

Nguyen Phuoc Hung, deputy chairman of the Business Association of HCM City, said that the forum will focus on four main topics: the overall picture on digital transformation in the city’s enterprises; policy making suitable to the city’s digital economic development; challenges and solutions in boosting digital transformation to improve businesses’ competitiveness; and experience and lessons in this field of both domestic and international firms.

The forum is expected to attract the participation of over 900 delegates, including leaders of the Government, ministries and sectors, and representatives from foreign diplomatic agencies and localities, and international organisations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank, and economists.

Last year, the digital economy contributed 14.4 per cent of the city’s GRDP. HCM City is striving to raise the figure to 25 per cent by 2025 and 40 per cent by 2030. — VNS