Top-down, bottom-up synchronization

Mr. Nguyen Thuc Manh, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications, Yen Bai province said: Yen Bai defines digital transformation as one of breakthrough solutions for socioeconomic development in the 2021 – 2025 period; an opportunity for a poor province to catch up, fill the gap and move together with other provinces and cities in the country, albeit starting later. With such spirit and awareness, Party committees and authorities from the provincial to grassroots levels, officials, civil servants and people are determined and resolute to advance digital transformation.

Hundreds of community digital transformation teams in Yen Bai province are significantly contributing to digital transformation and realizing the 
"digital society" goals of the province

In particular, the 19th Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution 51-NQ/TU dated July 22, 2021 on digital transformation in 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030. To bring Resolution 51 into practice, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council and the Provincial People’s Committee built and promulgated 76 documents on leadership, direction and implementation, including Action Program 15/CTr-UBND dated October 26, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee; Decision 2015/QD-UBND dated October 3, 2023 of the Provincial People’s Committee on ratification of Yen Bai Digital Transformation Project for the 2023-2030 period.

These documents clearly define the contents to be implemented, tasks assigned to each agency, unit and locality with an action roadmap and have products for demonstration. In particular, not just "catching up and going together with other localities", some policies are even ahead of the country like Resolution 60/2022/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2022 on some support policies for digital transformation in 2022-2025.

“These important documents clearly demonstrate determination; engage the participation of the entire political system from the provincial to grassroots levels for comprehensive digital transformation," he added.

The province has directed the formation and operation of 1,529 community digital transformation teams in all communes, wards, towns, villages, hamlets and residential areas with 10,851 members. All departments and sectors established and operated digital transformation clubs. Yen Bai is one of the first three provinces in the country (along with Lang Son and Thai Nguyen) to establish community digital transformation teams in all communes and villages. These teams specifically organize peak digital transformation month programs, peak digital transformation weeks and digital transformation festivals; guide people to install and use the digital citizenship platform of Yen Bai province (Yen Bai - S); organize conferences and seminars; sign cooperation agreements with companies to promote digital transformation. Many localities have good and creative ways of digital transformation. Van Yen district recognized nearly 9,000 people as digital citizens. Yen Bai City launched "Online Thursday" model and piloted the labeling of origin for Shan Tuyet tea products in Suoi Giang commune.

Along with the government, people have also changed their thinking and awareness and gradually become active participants in digital transformation, with activities like electronic transactions, electronic health insurance cards and remote medical examination and treatment services.

Towards digital government, digital economy and digital society

With the high determination and effective methods of the province, digital transformation has made much progress in Yen Bai although it has limited resources for this work. In 2022, Yen Bai ranked 15th out of 63 provinces and cities, up 25 places from 2020; and ranked 3rd out of 63 provinces and cities in DTI Index improvements. The province strives to basically complete digital transformation targets on all three pillars by 2025: Digital government, digital economy and digital society.

Currently, 100% of specialized databases of agencies are connected to the Provincial Public Service Portal. The document management and administration platform has activated nearly 12,000 user accounts. All governmental agencies have adopted electronic reporting (digital signature). In addition, the province completed digitizing, updating and synchronizing 24,352 records (100%) of civil servants with the national civil servant database. It also strongly deployed paperless meeting rooms. In 2021, Yen Bai City operated its Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) with the goal of building digital citizens in the digital economy and digital society.

Its digital economy has grown quite well, accounting for 12.2% of the gross regional domestic product (GRDP). To date, 100% of local enterprises are using digital platforms; the digital economy in industries and fields is about 5.73% on average; and e-commerce to total retail sales is 9.3%. Up to 50% of businesses are using electronic contracts. Workers in the digital economy account for over 1.6% of the workforce.

The province has issued 89 growing area codes and supported bringing nearly 5,000 agricultural products to e-commerce platforms. The Market Model 4.0, featured by cashless payment, has been deployed in all nine districts, towns and cities with more than 600 QR code scanning points for cashless payment. Among adults, 68.72% are using cashless payment services.

In addition, the digital society has developed strongly. Four companies have launched electronic medical records platforms; 200 medical facilities have adopted the use of chip-embedded citizen identification cards and VNeID applications for medical examination and treatment; all medical facilities have accepted cashless payment for medical services. In the education sector, 410 out of 442 schools (92.8%) have deployed school management software; all schools have used and updated data regularly on sector-specific database software; and all schools have electronic academic records and communications channels. Over 65% of adults regularly access and use the "Yenbai S" application.

The Department of Information and Communications will continue to advise on building and perfecting digital transformation institutions; advance the application of new digital technologies to serve the direction, operation and management of governmental agencies as well as activities of businesses and people (like artificial intelligence - AI, blockchain, big data and internet of things - IoT technologies); and train civil servants with knowledge and skills.

“Yen Bai hopes to accelerate and use digital transformation to make people happier so as to develop the province more quickly and sustainably in a ‘Green, harmonious, unique and happy’ direction,” said Manh.