Self-developed digital ecosystem a new target for Vietnam: Deputy Minister

ABO/NDO – In the 21st year since it officially commenced in 1997, Vietnam’s Internet continues by setting a new target for the nation, that is to build a digital ecosystem with digital platform products developed by the Vietnamese.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung addresses the Vietnam’s Internet Day 2018, Hanoi, December 5. (Photo: mic.gov.vn).

The statement was made by Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung at the Vietnam’s Internet Day 2018, held by the Vietnam Internet Association in Hanoi on December 5.

According to Hung, with a population of approximately 95 million people (ranked 15th in the world), of which internet users account for more than 60%, Vietnam is the 16th nation in the world regarding the number of internet users. A notable statistic is that the average Internet usage time of Vietnamese people is nearly 7 hours a day. This proves that Vietnamese have spent considerable time on activities on cyberspace to serve different needs.

 

Therefore, Hung said, the development of digital ecosystems serving Vietnamese people is a long-term and necessary direction, creating a lot of value for the society and the people. Vietnamese businesses now have the capacity and desire to master technology and conquer the domestic market, and even bring their products to the international market if they receive timely support from the State policies, and market users as well.

 

The explosive growth of technology in general and the internet in particular has brought new business models, turning Vietnam into an attractive destination for foreign technology enterprises.

 

The deputy minister said that domestic enterprises still need to play a key role in the building of

Vietnam's digital ecosystem. Products and services developed by domestic enterprises should meet the practical needs of Vietnam to bring about common benefits to the society and be widely welcomed by the people.

 

Deputy Minister Hung suggested that the concerned authorities, associations and enterprises need to exchange and discuss more to work towards the common mission to serve the country and the people. He also called for investment and experience by international investors and multinational corporations in building digital ecosystems in Vietnam.

 

Representatives from the Ministries of Science and Technology and Information and Communications also shared the view on the orientation of promoting Vietnam's digital ecosystem. The ecosystem must be developed and provided by Vietnamese enterprises, operating under the supply and demand of the market. The State will create favourable mechanisms and policies to facilitate Vietnamese enterprises to build the digital ecosystem.