Việt Nam has set a target by 2025 to have 100 per cent of national databases serve e-government. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Cities and provinces across Việt Nam will need to develop a database system and data sharing mechanism among State management agencies to develop e-government as part of an effort to become smart cities, experts said.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Dr. Phạm Thái Sơn, an expert on urban development at UN Habitat and Việt Đức University, said that database sharing among management agencies at both central and local levels was key to the process of developing e-government.

Nguyễn Văn Chương, vice chairman of Hòa Bình Provincial People’s Committee, said though the National Public Service Portal has been put into operation, there is a lack of a data sharing mechanism among management agencies at both central and local levels.

Lương Hải Âu, director of Hải Phòng Department of Information and Communications, said Hải Phòng City’s Smart City Monitoring and Administration Centre is piloting a programme to build a database system in various fields, such as transport, education and healthcare, among others.

The city is now in the process of digitising the data, he added.

Nguyễn Thị Minh Hạnh, head of Urban Development Strategy and Planning Department, said only two-thirds of cities and provinces in the country have plans for developing smart cities.

Phùng Hoàng Dương, general director of Signify Vietnam, said to build a smart city, the data of that city must be well connected with a national shared database. 

The problem is that a digitised database has not been completely built, and thus cannot be shared for data analysis purposes. 

Nguyễn Đức Hiển, deputy head of the Central Economic Commission, said the construction of a smart city must focus on regional and international connectivity. 

Việt Nam has set a target by 2025 to have 100 per cent of national databases to serve e-government, including databases about population, land, business registration, finance and insurance, which will be connected and shared on a nationwide scale.

The country plans to create a legal framework for the development of e-government toward a digital Government, digital economy and digital society.

Under an e-government development strategy by the Ministry of Information and Communications, the development of e-government will be associated with the process of digital transformation, smart urban development and ensuring network safety and security.

All operations of State management would be digitalised to lead the national digitalisation process.

Citizens and enterprises will be the centre of the digitalisation process, which will aim at improving transparency, simplifying administrative procedures and creating convenience when accessing public services.

The strategy aims to link the development of e-government with Vietnamese digital technology enterprises which have core technologies and open platforms to serve digital government services.

Việt Nam in recent years has joined smart city networks in the region and around the world.

The country has three cities (Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng) which have joined the ASEAN Smart City Network since 2018. More than 40 out of 63 cities and provinces have implemented smart city projects, mostly in traffic, education, healthcare and others.

The ASEAN Smart City Network aims to facilitate cooperation in the region on smart cities for sustainable development.

It also focuses on developing a digital infrastructure and increasing connectivity in the region in areas such as electronic payments. Other areas of focus include city operations, energy and water conservation. — VNS