Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính gives a speech at a videoconference discussing Việt Nam's digital transformation process. — VNA/VNS Photo

Digital transformation has been and will be playing a crucial role in economic recovery, virus containment, global integration and Việt Nam's standing in the international community, said Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính during a videoconference discussing the country's digital transformation process.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng said the Government is to lead the way with investment in research and development and new policies to create a market for digital business activities.

"In a fast-changing and hard-to-predict world, our best move is to invest in small gains that are part of a long-term vision for the future," said the minister.

The country has set a target to become one of the top 30 countries in the world in digital access with the vast majority of its population to gain access to mobile devices and the internet in the near future.

Tô Lâm, minister of public security, said his ministry has nearly completed the digital national citizen ID database, a cornerstone for the next steps of the digital transformation process.

Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyễn Thị Hồng said investments in digital transformation projects have reached VNĐ15 trillion (US$661 million) annually. Up to 90 per cent of the country's banks have established and operated their own digital banking systems.

Agriculture is to benefit enormously from the process, according to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan.

"It's high time for the country to start collecting, analysing and managing agricultural data. The ministry's 5-year plan for 2021-25 will introduce digital categories including digital agricultural villages and farmers," Hoan said.

A representative from the northern province of Quảng Ninh, one of the front runners in digital transformation among localities in Việt Nam, said it's time for the country to offer more incentives to attract and encourage skilled workers to join the effort.

Speaking at the videoconference, the PM said digital transformation is the next step of the country's socio-economic development and therefore requires the whole political apparatus to move in the same direction. The process's focal point is to support the population and the economy with sound strategies and policies to deliver benefits to all.

"The three pillars of the transformation process are digital government, digital economy and digital society with an emphasis on a robust relationship between the public and the private sector," said the PM.

He instructed ministries and agencies to build decrees related to digital transformation, including electronic identification to protect personal data, regulations on the management and operation of the national database on population, among others, to submit to the Government.

The PM hailed ministries, agencies and localities for their achievements in digital transformation, especially in three pillars of digital government, digital economy and digital society. At the same time, the PM pointed to outstanding shortcomings in the field, such as a low ranking in terms of e-Government, the incomplete legal environment for e-Government and slow progress of building national and specialised databases.

Việt Nam is among some of the first countries to issue national guidelines and strategies on digital transformation.The country was named the top riser in East Asia and the Pacific in the 2021 rankings compiled by the European Center for Digital Competitiveness during 2018-2020.

Between 2022 and 2025, the Government set the goal of meeting 53 criteria for digital government, digital economy and digital society.