IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Vietnam is looking toward an e-government- a mechanism which will provide the population with information from Government agencies and public administrative services via the Internet. To date the Government has yet to approve a roadmap for the development of an e-government. Projects like a masterplan, coded 112, on the application of information technology in State administrative management is one of the major objectives at which the Government is looking. The Vietnamese Government has maintained that investment and development of an e-government in the current situation is absolutely essential. On this front, Hanoi piloted an electronic contact gate more than a year ago with the aim of better catering to the needs of the population. By the end of 2004, via the Internet, Hanoians will be able to explore a number of issues relating to their obligations, responsibilities and interests, as well as responses from the municipal authorities dealing with pressing issues. In the near future, the system will provide on-line services including payment of water and electricity bills, the granting of business licences and the transferring of assets.

Luong Cao Son, Secretary of the masterplan of the Government Office, said exercising e-government will raise the management capacity of the State apparatus from the central to grassroots level. The Management Board of the project has been applying IT in the management of State administration in 14 ministries and 20 provinces and cities for two years.

North-central Thanh Hoa province is an example. A computerised network has been established, connecting the Provincial People’s Committee to 27 relevant departments, districts and agencies. Thanks to the network, mountainous and far-flung communes now have timely access to central and provincial instructions, thus saving time and money. District authorities receive all Government documents very shortly after they are signed by the Prime Minister.

Difficulties and inconsistency

However, Vietnam is not well prepared for the formulation of an e-government. Human factors are a major issue. Almost no Government’s agencies have yet established their Websites on the Internet. Therefore, the provision and exchange of information has become more difficult. In addition, Vietnam has not set up full-time staff who specialise in gathering, analysing, editing and posting relevant information on the net.

It is certain however that administrative officials working at offices will eventually be masters of the new IT system. Currently, the country has 25,000 officials working in administrative management fields. Providing them with IT expertise through training courses is not an easy task.

In addition, Vietnam has no standardised regulations on administrative management. Accordingly, information sources have not been dealt with consistently or professionally. Therefore, standardisation of working methods is very important to raise the efficiency of IT application in administrative management.

The Management Board of Project 112 has piloted an information system for a province or a ministry by providing 20 specific situations, so as to draw lessons which would be applied in the future. Through the project, administrative officers have become familiar with a new software program to increase their prospects of adapting to the new system.

In the scheme 112, the Prime Minister decided to expand the Government IT network (CPnet) to 61 cities and provinces and nearly 40 key Government ministries and agencies, with 2,500 sub-servers, 180 servers and 50 different application programs.

Administrative officers must become familiar with information technology, using it as a tool to raise work efficiency, using computer amongst other things, to replace tools such as telephones, facsimiles or urgent telegrams.

Quelle: Voice of Viet Nam, 17.01.2004