The digital aspect of the global economy is among the leading drivers of growth and development, and the foundation for increased industrial productivity, as well as creating opportunities for businesses, stated Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the 2017 Viet Nam Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Investment Forum (VIF) held on Wednesday in Ha Noi.

The Deputy PM said that all necessary measures to promote investment in the information sector in terms of legal framework, infrastructure investment and human resources development will be employed.

Ministries and localities have been making efforts to improve the information and communication sector’s business environment to attract investment and promote sustainable development.

Through efforts from both the public and private sectors in collecting data and creating a common source of information across all economic sectors, the Government hopes to connect foreign investors and enterprises with their Vietnamese counterparts in information technology, especially e-commerce, creative start-ups and the banking system.

According to the Deputy PM, for Viet Nam to truly become a destination for foreign information technology investors, just in time for the fourth industrial revolution, reviewing and amending investment attraction policies should become important.

Dam also said that in the digital economy, data is one of the most important resources, though human resources remain a key factor for progress.

He confirmed that ministries will make bolder moves in human resources preparation, such as setting up compulsory training programmes on information technology, and requiring such training for civil servants and just about any member of the country’s workforce.

‘I hope that after this conference, there will be more investment projects in all information technology fields’, said Dam.

During the meeting, a variety of digital products were presented as a demonstration of Vietnamese enterprises’ efforts to utilise the digital economy, along with its many opportunities and challenges.

One such product, Zalo, a mobile communication app from the VNG Corporation has been incorporated into administrative procedures management in Da Nang City and Dong Nai Province. In addition, the Ministry of Health, the Government Office and many other ministries and agencies also use Zalo to connect with the public.

Other notable products demonstrated by VNG at the event included ZaloPay, specialising in electronic payment through QR code scanning for public services, notably for paying electricity, water and internet service fees.

The conference focused on attracting investment in the digital economy, with three main activities including a forum, an ICT exhibition and a business networking event, was attended by more than 500 international delegates and representatives from ministries, organisations and IT companies from Viet Nam, the US, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Europe.

Yesterday’s event also featured experts in investment policy planning advice for the ICT and digital economy from the State Bank of Vietnam, the World Bank Group, Japan Business Association, and the US Trade Commission, together with those from multinational corporations such as Google, Nielsen, and leading digital infrastructure and e-commerce companies in Viet Nam.

This year VIF was organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in collaboration with informatics associations to promote investment in Viet Nam’s information industry. — VNS