Factors that enhance competitiveness

The Covid-19 pandemic seriously impacted the entire Vietnamese economy in 2021. Among the policies and solutions, digital transformation in the economy in general and the service industry in particular is a direct driving force for economic growth and sustainable development in the medium and long term. On the other hand, an effective and innovative digital service platform will create spillover effects to all sectors of the economy by providing high-quality inputs, ensuring output as well as business support services for customers key industries - agriculture of Vietnam, especially in the context that our economy has increasingly integrated into the global value chain.

Commenting on Vietnam's economic situation in recent years, Mr. Nguyen Truc Le, Rector of the University of Economics (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) said that digital transformation in the service sector not only helps Vietnam overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic but also a factor to improve competitiveness for businesses. However, Vietnam's digital transformation process faces many challenges, especially in completing the institutional and legal framework to accelerate the speed of digital transformation. Investment risks and human resource capacity are also major obstacles for businesses in digital transformation. In order for businesses in the service industry to have a basis for building an effective digital transformation roadmap, the authors have researched and built a set of criteria to evaluate the level of digital transformation based on reference to the sets of criteria and specific characteristics of industry.

Digital transformation is opportunity for businesses to recover and grow. Photo: T.D

Digital transformation is not a movement

Assessing the current situation of digital transformation in Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Minh Cuong, Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam said that digital transformation is not a movement but a market trend and must be done. If we don't do it, we can't expect Vietnam to grow in the future. However, in Vietnam, digital transformation is considered a movement. In order to transform digitally, first of all, it is necessary to speed up the reform of administrative procedures. The administrative procedures are still cumbersome and complicated, so it is difficult for successful digital conversion, otherwise it can cause obstacles.

Dr. Vu Tien Loc, Member of the National Assembly's Economic Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center, said that awareness is the most important issue. The issue of digital transformation is being approached in a narrow sense, which is information technology in the digital transformation process, while this is only the first process of digital transformation. If administrative procedure reforms but the transformation of digital transformation is not considered, changing the business model or the state governance model will not lead to a real digital transformation process.

“Digital transformation is a reform from business model to governance. For the State, it is reform in governance, and the main driver of digital transformation must be enterprises. The government does not need to do specific things to support and guide businesses in digital transformation, but should only support leading enterprises and the role of business associations is very important in this regard,” said Vu Tien Loc.