Da Nang to become ‘smart’ in 2025

Having launched an e-Government system in 2014, the central city of Da Nang has completed 1,632 out of 1,682 online administration procedures, marking a crucial step in becoming a ‘smart city’ and the first in Vietnam to join the ASEAN ‘smart’ city network by 2030.

The system, which has been used by 285 agencies and administrative centres in seven districts, helped speed up the procedure schedule, while saving at least VND1 trillion (US$44.2 million) and 20% of other costs in human resources in the city.

According to a report from the city’s information and technology department, 763 administrative procedure – 48% of the total – have attained level four, meaning that local people and businesses could stay home for all paperwork for the city’s online public one-stop service for investment licences, residential management, public transport and water supervision.

The city has reserved total investment of VND2.14 trillion (US$95 million) for the ‘smart’ city plan in 2030-45, in which information technology and communication will play a key role in management, economy, environment, living, citizens and traffic.

Director of the city’s IT Department Nguyen Quang Thanh said the ‘smart’ city is a necessary solution in digitalisation that all developed cities in the world are adopting.

“We aim to create smooth conditions and utilities for all residents and businesses, getting people and local administration closer than ever in digitalisation. IT solutions have been developed from the need of local people in daily life, while saving money and time for all people and businesses,” Thanh said.

“The e-Government plan helps promote transparency and improve administrative reform as residents now have easy access to clear information on land, administrative procedures, planning, social services, disaster warnings, healthcare and education online,” he said.

He said IT applications and online services would help save at least US$13,000 in annual paperwork for a department in the city, excluding travel costs and time for local people and businesses.

IT applications and databases are now open for students from primary school to high school in Da Nang, while 16 health centres and hospitals have been using digital records.

Smart traffic camera systems have been installed at 166 traffic junctions in the city since 2014, while 1,800 security cameras have connected 25,000 private cameras.

Commuters and tourists can search for information on bus and taxi trips and destinations as 2,200 buses and taxi cabs have connected to the system.

Nguyen Mung, solution manager at Phi Long Technology company, said it helped build a smart traffic solution in Da Nang to ease traffic congestion and fighting traffic violations with 3,000 traffic cameras.

He said face identification systems have been installed at many shops, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants in Da Nang.

A public open data source for the community and businesses has been launched offering data for users searching through Zalo, SMS (Short Message Service) or Application Programming Interface (API).

“Local residents and businesses can search for information on air control, water, garbage, meteorology, disaster warnings and flooding through switchboard 1022,” said vice director of the city’s IT department Tran Van Thach.

Thach said the city introduced the Da Nang Smart City app for smartphone users to access public information and connect with local authorities.

“All local residents and tourists could download the app to search for information related to public services, tourism, rescue, bus trips, open data, smart car parks and hotlines, or send comments and complaints to the local government,” he said.

“We also offered a page to get feedback on city services from the local community in urban, environmental, administrative and tourism-related services. Many opinions and complaints from local residents and tourists were resolved within seven days through the online system,” he explained.

The city’s Facebook page is an online public evaluation on administrative procedures across 56 communes, precincts and departments throughout the city since it debuted from 2015.

The city is also ready for connection with the 126 smart cities network in ASEAN, he said.