Hanoi (VNA) - If the country wants to achieve faster economic g𒅌rowth, it needs a new development space, new production force, new resources, new production factors and a new driver, said Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung at a programme marking the National Digital Transformation Day held on October 10 in Hanoi.

The minister stressed that for Vietnam, the digital economy is the new space for development, digital technology is the new production force, digital human resources is the new production resources and digital innovation is the new driver. For Vietnam, to become a high-income developed nation, it is essential to embrace digital transformation, he said, noting that in the digital age, any country aspiring to prosperity must thrive in the online space.

Nearly 100,000 community-based digital technology teams established

Digital transformation accelerates development by fostering a digital economy, Hung said. Digital transformation promotes sustainable development as it consumes fewer resources, generates new resources, and enhances economic resilience due to the borderless nature of the digital environment, according to Hung. Digital transformation is all-encompassing, as anyone with mobile connectivity and a smartphone can access digital services, he stressed. The year 2023 was designated by the Prime Minister - Chairman of the National Committee on Digital Transformation as "National Digital Data Year" with the goal of building and exploiting the National Database, creating new value from data, Hung said. Vietnam is speeding up the application of new technologies and high technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), to solve specific problems, he noted. In the online space, those who have control over the digital platform will have access to data and decision-making authority, so a robust digital platform in Vietnam is a breakthrough solution for the country to promote digital transformation, the minister said. According to Hung, the goal of digital literacy has consistently been a focal task in recent years. Nearly 100,000 community-based digital technology teams have been formed in hamlets and villages across the country to support the digital transformation process in localities. Hung stressed the necessity to rapidly disseminate basic knowledge related to digital transformation through shared digital platforms nationwide, and develop new things via leading entities. Digital transformation is a comprehensive and all-encompassing process that involves the entire population, so it must be widely accessible, he stressed. Regarding the development of virtual assistants, the minister revealed that the information and communications sector is currently deploying four significant virtual assistants serving law-making, law enforcement, and legal lookup, and providing legal assistance to people. In his speech at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh mentioned opportunities and challenges brought by digital transformation, saying that more efforts should be made to maximise opportunities and address difficulties and challenges for further development. He also reaffirmed that the Government's complete perspective is to take people and businesses as the core, the subject, the target, the driving force, and the resource for digital transformation. The PM highlighted Vietnam’s ambition to lead the charge as a flourishing digital nation by the year 2030. This journey involves taking the lead in adopting new technologies and new models, completely overhauling governmental management and operations, as well as the production and operation of businesses, and the living, working and studying life of the people./.