CẦN THƠ — Cần Thơ City has completed its plan for smart-city development, which is divided into three phases, the local People’s Committee announced last Friday at a meeting in the city. 

Nguyễn Văn Hồng, director of the city’s Department of Planning and Investment, said the department had been examining the city’s infrastructure and related issues since 2017 with the Việt Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).

The development plan’s first phase (2018–20) will focus on establishing a technological foundation for a smart city, building a digital government, and working on smart solutions for city planning.

In addition, agriculture and tourism will be among the areas that will be developed first.

The second phase of the plan (2021–23) will carry out solutions concurrently and build on the foundation.

The third phase (2024 –25) will see the continued development of systems and solutions applied to more areas of the city, which will provide more efficient processing capability, storage and security. 

The city’s Department of Transport has already launched ICT applications for traffic management and services, which aims to improve drivers’ satisfaction and reduce the number of accidents.

In addition, the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been building a digital database on agricultural activities, and has also been developing geographic indicators for farmers to improve management and planning.

Farmers have also been provided with tools and opportunities to connect with businesses and local government to improve product quality and their brands. 

Võ Thành Thống, chairman of the People’s Committee, said that co-operation between citizens, businesses, government and other organisations would be important to successful implementation of the plan.

He said that authorities should gather practical feedback and concerns from citizens and businesses, and keep them informed of progress.

Showrooms and online models on smart cities could be used to educate citizens on the benefits of smart cities, he said.

Thống also suggested that authorities should gather data from smart services and systems to improve forecasting ability and help decision-making.

Cần Thơ is a centrally governed city with developing infrastructure and one of the leading areas listed on the Việt Nam ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Index, with numerous investments from domestic and foreign sources. — VNS