The country is rated 16th for the readiness to use e-government services (the indicator of the people’s attention and participation in the government’s e-government programs and services). This is a great jump for Vietnam compared to 2005, when it was ranked 63rd.
The 2008 UN E-Government Readiness Survey, released on January 5, is the fourth edition of the index, and assesses 192 UN member states on their application of information and communication technologies to serve and interact with citizens.
Read more: Viet Nam climbs 14 spots on UN E-governance readiness standings
James SL Yong, director of Cisco Systems’ public sector programmes, told the fifth Vietnam E-government Symposium held in Ho Chi Minh City last week that 35 per cent of E-government systems in developing countries were often unsuccessful.
Read more: Vietnam: E-government vital to nation’s development
According to a survey conducted by Brown University, Vietnam’s e-government ranking went from 126th in 2006 to 90th in 2007.
“That might seem like a good sign, but if we look back at the past ten years, it’s a bitter failure,” said Director of the HCM City Department of Post and Telecommunications, Le Manh Ha.
The country began increasing its Internet access 10 years ago and has witnessed mushrooming development in subscribers and users, who now make up 21 percent of the country’s population.
Read more: Vietnam: E-government needs investment to succeed