Officials from the provincial Labour Federation Standing Committee activate the Bắc Giang Trade Union mobile app.

BẮC GIANG — The northern middle province of Bắc Giang is making significant strides in digital transformation, setting its position as a leader in e-government development.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Bắc Giang Provincial People’s Committee, Mai Sơn, it will continue advancing its digital initiatives throughout 2025, focusing on e-government expansion and infrastructure enhancement.

The province plans to upgrade its digital transformation data centre, improve its WAN (wide area network) infrastructure, along with enhancing specialised data transmission networks in collaboration with telecommunications service providers.

Investments will be made in equipment to boost the efficiency of the online meeting system, ensuring seamless connectivity from the provincial to the commune level.

Local authorities will review and invest in IT equipment to ensure that 100 per cent of surveillance camera systems at public service centres are connected to the provincial Public Administration Service Centre. Meanwhile, network infrastructure for security and traffic monitoring cameras will be expanded under Project 257.

To further its digital reach, Bắc Giang is working with telecommunications firms to improve fibre-optic internet quality and ensure stable mobile network coverage across the province.

In 2025, the province will maintain and develop its provincial-level data integration and sharing platform (LGSP).

Various sectors, including healthcare, education and media, will continue implementing specialised digital platforms for telemedicine, online learning and digital broadcasting.

Agencies will actively update data onto national platforms to support digital governance, economic growth, and smart urban development.

A key priority is the establishment of a unified digital communication platform to enhance interactions between the government, citizens and businesses. This will be achieved through mobile applications, online portals, call centres and social networks, offering convenient and diverse channels for engagement.

Expanding digital data infrastructure

Vice Chairman Sơn emphasised that provincial departments and agencies will inherit and use central government databases while developing their own in priority sectors such as education, healthcare, insurance, social welfare, finance, agriculture, tourism, labour and employment, transportation and construction.

The Bắc Giang City Smart Urban Operations Centre.

Ensuring cybersecurity and stable digital operations is a top concern. The province will optimise its Smart Urban Operations Centre (IOC) and maintain key digital assets, including the provincial e-portal, official email systems, workflow software, reporting platforms and digitised maps for administrative purposes.

Additional digital tools for public personnel management and sector-specific solutions for government agencies will also be improved.

Bắc Giang aims to advance its provincial digital data repository, geographic information system (GIS) infrastructure and open data portal, allowing residents and businesses access to essential information for daily activities, investments and economic growth.

The province encourages public participation in government and social oversight through these digital channels.

Bắc Giang is also expanding its Smart Operations Centre (IOC) and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, focusing on resolving pressing social issues and integrating smart urban services with digital governance.

The province's progress in digital transformation is reflected in its rankings.

Bắc Giang maintained its position in the top ten of the Digital Transformation Index (DTI) for two consecutive years, before climbing to ninth place in 2022.

In 2024, it ranked fourth nationwide in the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), third in governance and public service delivery, and fourth in the Public Administration Reform Index (Par Index).

Notably, it led the country in the E-Government and Digital Government Development Index.

With full mobile network coverage and fibre-optic infrastructure reaching 100 per cent of villages, hamlets, and residential groups, digital connectivity is widespread.

Over 85 per cent of adults in Bắc Giang own smartphones, with more than 90 per cent of households having at least one smartphone user. Meanwhile, broadband fibre-optic internet access reaches 86.3 per cent of households.

Bắc Giang has also developed a comprehensive online meeting system, linking all administrative levels from province to commune. This system is integrated with 21 education hubs, 13 healthcare centres, 54 Party and mass organisation hubs, and 25 department and agency hubs.

In June 2023, Bắc Giang City completed Phase 1 of its Smart Urban Operations Centre (IOC), featuring eight core modules covering socio-economic monitoring, business and commerce, education, healthcare, public administration, security, natural resource management, and urban development.

AI technologies have been incorporated for automatic licence plate recognition, crowd monitoring, flood and fire detection, improper waste disposal alerts and parking violation detection.

The province's digital transformation efforts have received positive feedback from residents and businesses.

“I handled land-related procedures at the Bắc Giang City One-Stop Centre and was impressed by the attentive staff. I expected delays but received my results the next day. I was very satisfied,” said Vi Ngọc Tân, a local resident.

Trần Quang Hưng, a representative from the centre, said: “Our team is trained in online services, e-payments and digital processing. We prioritise efficiency and public satisfaction, ensuring timely procedure resolution.” — VNS