Addressing the Vietnam ICT Summit 2013 in Hanoi on June 20, Dung noted the special attention the government devotes to building national ICT infrastructure as a way of increasing economic competitiveness and supporting education-training reforms.

He said the ICT industry has become an economic spearhead over the past decade, generating nearly 7 percent of the country’s GDP. Vietnam ranks fourth among Southeast Asian nations in terms of e-government services and is in the world’s top ten software manufacturers.

Dung confirmed Vietnam enjoys a unique advantage in ICT development courtesy of its young, abundant, and well-trained workforce. He said the government believes ICT can drive sustainable development.

He underlined the need to accelerate building national ICT infrastructure, studying emerging technological solutions, and developing ICT-proficient human resources for every sector, locality, enterprise, and the country as a whole.

The PM asked ministries, sectors, and localities to create favourable conditions for the ICT businesses to maintain their share of the local market and reach out to the wider world.

He called on businesses strengthen international cooperation and mobilise all resources to develop the industry, including those offered by Vietnamese expatriate communities abroad.

“Developing and applying ICT must be a key task of the entire political and social system,” said Dung. “Leaders of organisations must direct—and be responsible for—effectively applying ICT for the sake of rapid and sustainable development.”

The summit brought together 500 delegates representing the nation’s ministries, sectors, localities, research institutes, and business communities.

Attending the event, former Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama shared how his country’s success was founded on developing its ICT industry.

He recalled that after World War II, Japan mobilised all resources for economic development. Information technology was a key factor in the country’s ascent to becoming a world economic power.

He recommended Vietnam’s ICT industry develop human resources to create a network society as soon as possible.

Vietnam Software Association President Truong Gia Binh said ICT application must be compulsory in every sector and investment project. It is particularly crucial to administrative reform, transportation, health care, education, and urban development.

This obligation must be concretised in legislation, he said. 

VOV