Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung answered questions about the roadmap for reopening the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic and about national digital transformation during a Government press briefing in Hanoi on January 4.

He said that with a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) signed, Vietnam is opening its economy to the world but issues have arisen from the pandemic, such as a lack of containers to transport goods.

The Government therefore assigned the Ministry of Transport to improve the quality of Vietnam’s ocean-going vessels to address disruptions in trade.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said the ministry was asked to work with other relevant agencies to draft measures in support of the economy, businesses, and people hit by COVID-19, to be submitted to the Government and PM.

He affirmed that such measures will be announced when they are ready.

Regarding the resumption of passenger transport services, Phuong said this should be done with an abundance of caution to ensure safety because the pandemic remains a complex matter worldwide.

A programme will be launched this year, he said, to help enterprises take advantage of the opportunities from digital transformation.

In regard to perfecting relevant mechanisms, Dung said e-Government will address issues such as information digitalisation and privacy, thus recognising the legal value of electronic documents.