The city’s digital transformation programme, issued in July 2020, sets a target that the digital economy will make up 25 percent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) by 2025 and 40 percent by 2030. It gives priority to 10 sectors, namely health care, education, transport, finance - banking, tourism, agriculture, logistics, environment, energy, and human resources training.
Ho Chi Minh City also looks to raise the digital economy’s proportion in GRDP to 15 percent in 2022.
Speaking at a seminar on March 25, Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang said while the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been over, Ho Chi Minh City’s economy is still facing an array of considerable difficulties and challenges.
The city views implementing all-round digital transformation and developing a digital economy as one of the important tasks to recover and develop its economy. Besides, it will also step up digital society, digital administration, and smart city building, he noted.
Some experts suggested that in terms of digital infrastructure, Ho Chi Minh City should complete general and specialised databases in its smart city project, boost the building of information security mechanisms to encourage enterprises to do business on digital platforms, and pay due attention to cybersecurity.
Regarding digital business, they recommended the city survey companies’ demand and devise different programmes supporting firms to innovate, apply technology, and shift to digital business models.
Pham Binh An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, held that local authorities should improve their capacity to assist digital technology startups, facilitate digital business and e-commerce activities, and increase connecting e-commerce firms with manufacturers.
