Executives from leading technology companies and officials discussed ways to speed up introduction of e-governance and creation of smart cities based on the safe use of IT at a conference in the Mekong city of Can Tho this week.

According to Lam Nguyen Hai Long, director of Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) in HCM City, the two concepts are closely linked with each other and require the use of digital technology, not only in industry and doing business but by the entire society.

To turn Viet Nam into an “electronic nation”, authorities around the country must consider the two an ‘inevitable” step to improve its competitiveness and take advantage of the diversity in each region based on the characteristics of each smart city.

QTSC operates like a smart city with all its infrastructure, electricity and water supply, and parks operating based on high technology.

The time taken to establish links between enterprises and between them and official agencies has been reduced from two days to two minutes, while the connection costs has fallen to a fifth of normal levels.

When a smart city takes shape, helping better connect members of society, reduce human labour, save natural resources, and creating other advantages, setting up an e-government becomes “feasible”.

Le Duc Anh from Fortinet Group proposed the establishment of a computer emergency response team (CERT) and pooling of public and private resources.

“Infrastructure for both electronic government and smart cities” was organised by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Can Tho unit and attended by executives from companies like Dell EMC, HPT, Fortinet, and Vietnet.

Can Tho aims to be smart city by 2025

Earlier, at a conference titled “Developing Can Tho into a smart city in the period from 2016 to 2025” held on May 21, Duong Thi Dung, deputy director of the city Department of Information and Communication, said making it a smart city was aimed at improving its residents’ living and working conditions.

A smart city would accelerate civic engagement in urban management based on an improvement in competitiveness and socio-economic development, she said.

"The plan requires effective communication to improve public services, and urban and social infrastructure planning and development have to be compatible with the process of developing a smart city," she said.

Establishing standards for public services, creating policies for public-private partnerships, fostering start-ups, and enhancing international co-operation were among the solutions she proposed to turn Can Tho into a smart city by 2025.

The conference also witnessed the signing of a co-operation agreement between Can Tho and the Viet Nam Posts and Communications Group (VNPT).

VNPT will set up a smart city framework system, including an information and communication technology framework and a smart city solution framework, in which all developers’ solutions can run. – VNS