Vietnam’s digital transformation accelerated in 2021

Vietnam saw “remarkable progress” in its digital transformation last year, with awareness among state agencies, businesses and people improving significantly, said Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Nguyen Huy Dung.

Digital transformation has become a trend due to the pandemic, and is a new engine driving Vietnam’s socio-economic development, facilitating the country’s pandemic response and economic recovery, Dung added, according to Vietnam Plus. 

In Da Nang, residents can register for electricity supply and pay utility bills with their smartphones, while village chiefs in Lang Son have become heads of community-based tech groups who teach villagers how to run digital shops on e-commerce platforms, writes the publication. The shift to e-commerce has helped villagers raise sales of their agricultural products by 174 times. 

Digital transformation is not merely about technology and equipment but also regulatory frameworks, policies, awareness and personnel, said Do Cong Anh, Director of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications’ Information Technology Application. 

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Technology only contributes some 20% to an organisation’s successful digital transformation while the remaining 80% depends on technological awareness and how a firm’s personnel translate digital plans into reality, according to Anh.