Vietnam ICT Index reviewed

The Ministry of Information and Communications held a workshop on December 10^th to review the Vietnam ICT Index. This event was also used to recognise high-flying agencies and provinces.

With drastic reforms in the tax payment system and customs clearance, the Ministry of Finance has long been among the top state agencies since the Vietnam ICT Index was debuted in 2006. The ministry was also the earliest to promote the use of IT.

Hoang Xuan Nam, Deputy Director, Dept. of Financial Informatics & Statistics, Ministry of Finance said: The Ministry of Finance set 3 objectives, including the establishment of an IT foundation from 1989 to 1994, developing internal network and specialist software from 1995 to 2004 and building an online working system for the ministry from 2005.

The Vietnam ICT Index has also helped cities and provinces implement IT infrastructures. A typical example is the central province of Nghệ An, which has ranked in the top ten in the latest 3 Vietnam ICT Index results. Nghệ An was also the first province to establish a provincial ICT Index, with specific criteria based on local situation.

Ho Quang Thanh, Director, Dept. of Information & Communications, Nghe An Province said: The ICT Index is quite an accurate measure, which helps local authorities in evaluating local IT development and drafting proper policies.

Similar to the Provincial Competitiveness Index, the ICT Index has become a credible measure of infrastructural development and helps encourage state agencies, localities and SOEs to promote the use of IT. In the coming time, the index will be developed into a national trademark index.

Sub-indices, including public satisfaction with online administrative services and the efficiency of online government, will be developed based on the Vietnam ICT Index from 2016 to 2020. These indices are hoped to help boost future IT development.