According to Tra Vinh Department of Information and Communications (DIC), in 2021 Tra Vinh’s digital transformation index ranked 26th out of 63 cities and provinces nationwide and came sixth out of 13 localities in the delta region.

Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Tra Vinh People’s Committee visit an aquaculture transformation model by My Lan Group

Compared to 2020, the province’s index moved up eight notches, in which several component indexes showed marked improvements. For instance, with the digital government index, Tra Vinh moved up 15 notches to rank 12th out of all localities; with digital society, the province leapt 28 notches to rank eighth.

For the past year, the province has been deploying a raft of tasks and measures to improve the IT infrastructure index in light of plans by Tra Vinh People’s Committee and Tra Vinh Standing Party Committee on enhancing the preparedness index for IT application and development across the province for the 2021-2025 period.

Tra Vinh is now home to six telecom services providers and one firm providing cable television services, all ready to provide diversified digital transformation services across the province. The whole province accommodates over 1,200 base transceiver stations (86 per cent of them 4G units), with 58 per cent of family households having access to internet-based optic cable lines.

Both 3G and 4G coverage can be accessed throughout the province, and more than 60 per cent of the provincial population possess smartphones. Nearly 500 corporate and over 2,000 individual certification units are operating in the province for the completion of digital signature and e-records.

Tra Vinh has also put into service diverse applications for common use to bolster workplace operational efficiencies such as iOffice, teleconferencing, and more.

The DIC noted that they are expediting a wide range of tasks and measures to spur digital transformation under the government and the Ministry of Information and Communications guidance.

Accordingly, this body continues teaming up with relevant management agencies to consult with Tra Vinh People’s Committee on the enactment of diverse documents, including a plan to implement a project on raising awareness, promoting skills, and spurring human resource development on digital transformation nationwide to 2025, with a vision towards 2030; a plan to respond to National Digital Transformation Day on October 10 and Provincial Digital Transformation Day; and regulations on the use, operation, and management of digital platforms for common use in the province.

Tra Vinh commits to the continued development of digital transformation in the areas of postal, telecommunications, and IT infrastructure. Other important tasks involve bringing into service the province’s database through jointly deploying connection and integration activities among departments and sectors to quicken the pace.

With respect to digital government, the task embraces completion and putting into use different information systems; continuing the improvement of information system functions compatible with actual professional requirements; and further reviewing and standardising processes and norms to ensure all online public services have full conditions to reach level 4, along with making efforts to encourage people and businesses to use online public services.

Le Van Han, Chairman of Tra Vinh People’s Committee, said, “The province has presented multiple measures towards reaching these goals, such as organising digital technology teams in the community; promoting local and international cooperation; strengthening research; launching a campaign to raise public awareness and knowledge in using IT; and focusing on improving digital infrastructure. We have specific plans to develop digital platforms, data, human resources, skills, culture, businesses, and payments.”

By 2025, the digital economy aims to surpass 10 per cent of the province’s regional GDP, with labour productivity rising more than 11.5 per cent annually; the proportion of the digital economy in each particular field and sector reaching 10 per cent; the ratio of e-commerce in total retail sales surpassing 10 per cent; and over 80 per cent of firms using e-contracts, among others.