The central city of Da Nang and the telecommunications group Viettel has begun launching 5,000 cashless payment sites and 500 digital signature sites in Hai Chau District as part of the first stage of ‘smart city’ development in 2023.

The group will provide digital accounts – My Signs, My Cloud – to 80 per cent of households living in the district and open an e-trade transaction for local residents boosting online public and business service.

Businesses and households have been encouraged in using digital signing, invoices and public services through e-trade to save time and money.

According to the city’s information and communication department, e-trade involves 1,000 businesses with 2,500 products.

More than 260,000 digital accounts have been provided to residents in the city, and 83 per cent of businesses have accepted digital invoices, the department said.

About 1,476 public procedures were posted online, and all transactions are completely solved online also.

Healthcare services and procedures at hospitals in Da Nang are now all online.

The Han Market, a popular tourist spot, is the first market in the city to accept QR codes and cashless payments.

Da Nang is the first city in Viet Nam launching bus tickets online with QR codes and the app Danabus.

Viettel will help launch 5G coverage throughout the city, a database centre, and e-Government service in two districts of Lien Chieu and Hai Chau in 2023.

Da Nang, which launched an e-government system in 2014 and smart connections in air control, water management, garbage collection and meteorology, earthquake and tsunami warnings, floods and erosion and sewage management systems, plans to become a ‘smart city’ and the first in Viet Nam to join the 126 ASEAN ‘smart’ city network by 2030. — VNS