Find bottlenecks to solve problems for digital transformation in Vietnam

In this article, domestic and foreign experts will offer solutions to help Vietnam take advantage of its strengths and overcome its weaknesses to build a digital nation.

 The digital skills of the people, the innovation capacity of businesses, and accessibility, quality and information security are the factors that will determine whether Vietnam can catch up and surpass other countries in terms of digital transformation.

Jacques Morissette, Chief Economist and Manager of the World Bank's Macroeconomic, Trade and Investment Program in Vietnam, said that for successful digital transformation, Vietnam must have good infrastructure constantly maintained, upgraded and modernized. Vietnam also needs to ensure the speed of telecommunications infrastructure.

He said that it would take Vietnam about 25 years to reach the current level of Thailand in terms of digital skills. Therefore, Vietnam should go faster by upgrading digital skills for its people.

He also warned that businesses may be afraid to spend money to pay for training courses for employees. When workers have finished training, they will probably seek more competitive jobs. Is so, Vietnam may fall into a situation where businesses do not invest, or do not invest enough in digital skills. He suggested that the government should intervene more by subsidizing training.

The second priority, according to the World Bank expert, is to encourage businesses to adopt new technologies. This is very important in digital transformation because the world changes so fast.

To solve this problem, Vietnam needs two groups of businesses: big pioneers and startups. The Government needs to invest more, subsidize and create incentives for banks and financial markets to invest in startups and digital talent.

The last thing that the World Bank expert emphasized is that Vietnam needs to strengthen the accessibility and quality of information.

He said that the three main solutions for digital transformation in Vietnam are: to have the right digital skills, the innovation capacity of businesses, and the ability to access and information quality and security. These are the factors that will determine whether Vietnam can catch up and surpass other countries in digital transformation.

According to digital transformation expert Tran Huu Quyen, Chairman of Posts and Telecommunications Industry Technology Joint Stock Company (a member of VNPT Group), for successful and effective digital transformation, people, employees and managers need to have the right digital skills.

Digital transformation of organizations and businesses in general and of Vietnam in particular is unprecedented, and businesses are different. Quyen believes that it cannot apply models and experiences from other businesses in a mechanical and rational way.

To perform digital transformation, Vietnamese businesses need to be proactive and creative in their activities. Broadly speaking, innovation capacity is essential to the existence and development of organizations and businesses today in the context of a globally integrated economy.

Business leaders need to change their thinking and awareness about digital technology and digital transformation, thereby leading to the preparation of capacity and determination to perform digital transformation.

Organizations and businesses need to seriously build a roadmap with corresponding digital transformation programs for each field and each period. Along with that is the serious implementation of investment in technology infrastructure and human resources to the adjustment of operating models.

Vietnam to successfully perform digital transformation to become a digital country

Hoang Anh Tu, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Information and Communications), affirmed that digital transformation and digital economy development based on the development of science and technology is the path that Vietnam has chosen.

The Vietnamese government has issued the National Digital Transformation Program with three pillars: digital government, digital economy and digital society. Vietnam targets having 100,000 digital technology enterprises. The digital economy will contribute 20% of GDP; Vietnam will be the best place in the region for digital businesses to do business and succeed; and Vietnam will become a digital nation by 2025.

According to Hoang Anh Tu, there are two things that will definitely happen. The first is digital transformation development of digital technology, and the second is that Vietnam will overcome the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic and soon return to a new normal.

"Each report will look at the road to the future from a different perspective. But all the roads will eventually lead to one thing in common, which is a prosperous and happy Vietnam," he said.