A further 275,000 USD will be invested in IT applications for State administrative management, under the Government’s national e-government project. Around 175,000 USD will be spent on the application of Geographic Information Systems software, and 100,000 USD will be invested in software and personnel training. Each district and department will establish teams of up to five employees who will be responsible for developing and maintaining the new IT applications.
Nhan has also asked the IT industry to set up special consultants for the State-management, health and education sectors to meet the city’s burgeoning demands.
"We hope that these efforts will enhance IT applications in our city for the future," Nhan said. "We are gearing up for the first National Information Technology workshop and exhibition, which will be held in HCM City this year."
In a visit to the Quang Trung Software Park with Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KhiemNguyen Thien Nhan said that several other projects were in the cards for the next four years, helping HCM City to become the country’s IT capital.
One project is a software production facility at Quang Trung, which will house 400 IT companies and employ up to 20,000 IT workers by 2005.
The programmers are slated to turn out 250 million USD in software products every year by 2010.
The project will also focus on an IT training and research centre, a residential area for 2,000 IT workers, and an entertainment and shopping complex at the software park.
Investment for the programmes and projects is estimated at around 6.9 trillion VND over five years, including 651 billion VND from the municipal budget.
By 2005, 1.5 per cent of the population will be Internet subscribers. All central hospitals, more than 50 per cent of provincial hospitals and agencies and 50 per cent of high schools will be connected to the Internet.
To improve the domestic workforce, a new IT co-operation project was launched last weekend with funding from Japanese IT firms and software production associations.
The Japan-Viet Nam Portal Project is aimed at improving the quality of Viet Nam’s IT workforce and providing them with necessary skills, including Japanese language.
The programme will train the first 40 people for free and will be overseen by Japan’s Individuals System Company and Viet Nam’s Nha Vui Company.
Additionally, 1,000 promising young IT engineers will get the chance to hone their skills in North America over the next three years.
The programme, organised by HCM City authorities, will offer extensive work place training in Canada and the United States.
Quelle: Viet Nam News Agency
