Can we say that the first step to building e-Government is computerising administration?
Yes. When the system and administrative procedures are computerised, everything will run smoother, more effectively and more transparently. At that point, all interchanges between people and authorities will occur in a clearer, faster manner as well.
A study conducted by Brown University in the US has shown that Viet Nam has made great advances in e-Government development, now ranking 90th in development as opposed to 126th in 2006. Is this good news for Viet Nam?
It’s quite good news, but we should not feel overly satisfied as we still rank behind 89 other countries and economies. To attain an e-Government as developed as Singapore’s, the Republic of Korea’s or those of Scandinavian countries, where people can work directly with authorities via internet anytime, anywhere, Viet Nam still must complete a great deal of work.
For citizens, the Government must provide consistent access and must represent a singular authority via the internet through its various channels. In this way, citizens can monitor their requests and understand authorisation channels and directives more clearly.
Many people argue that Viet Nam doesn’t have e-citizens, so the process of building e-Government will be slow. What are your thoughts on this?
I don’t think it’s worth worrying about. People will not only be eager to use e-Government, but they will also be likely to expand their use of such systems.
As the State builds e-Government, it in turn encourages people to become e- citizens. Most citizens will want to have an easy access code that will be used to maintain contact with the Government instead of a series of other identification means.
What is the situation with making citizens and enterprises a key focus when building e-Government?
Providing quick responses to the requests of citizens and enterprises still requires much work. Obviously most ministries, sectors and localities have websites or portals to maintain contact with people. However, most of them provide primarily one-way information and do not yet always issue the most updated information.
Though some sectors and localities have started processing opinions from people, this has not occurred with great regularity.
What are the difficulties of building e-Government in Viet Nam?
Anything new always poses some difficulties. e-Government requires changes involving operational systems, people and synchronous solutions.
Luckily, the growing demand by citizens and enterprises for e-Government provides great motivation to get things up and running very soon.
And if all ministers and People’s Committee chairmen push online communications, changes will occur with even greater speed and effectiveness.
How has the Ministry of Information and Communication implemented the project of building e-Government?
We have drafted and submitted a project on e-Government to the Prime Minister ranging from the present time to 2010. It is entitled "The Programme to Apply Information Technology in State companies" and was influenced by local and international suggestions.
Quelle/Source: Viet Nam News, 05.09.2007
