The Ministry of Information and Communications has recently announced the Top 10 information and communication technology (ICT) events in 2010. Vietnam Business Forum would like to introduce these most notable events.
1. “Driving Vietnam into an ICT power” project
On September 22, the Prime Minister approved the plan “Driving Vietnam into an ICT power.” Accordingly, the plan will create an important stepping stone to promote information technology application by focusing on developing IT human resources and telecommunications broadband infrastructure and popularising computer science and IT applications. Vietnam will also work towards building the ICT market.
2. Postal Law passed by the National Assembly
A new Postal Law, approved on June 28 by the lawmaking National Assembly, will come into effect on January 1, 2011. The new law consists of 10 chapters and 46 articles providing rights and obligations of organisations and individuals, and State management over postal activities.
Together with the Law on Information Technology, the Law on Electronic Transaction, the Law on Publication and instructive decrees, the new law will ensure transparent and consistent policies for postal, telecommunications and information technology services, journalism and publication. The law will also help Vietnam integrate into the international community.
3. National programme “Bringing IT to mountainous, remote, border and island areas” passed by the National Assembly
On November 10, the National Assembly adopted a national programme called “Bringing IT to mountainous, remote, border and island areas,” aimed at narrowing the gap of information reception amongst different regions, boosting economic development and raising quality of spiritual and material life for people living in these areas while ensuring security and national defence.
The programme will also provide public telecommunications services and is expected to be implemented in 250 districts and 3,000 communes. A total of 1,700 remote communes will receive priority in the 2011 - 2015 period. Communications staff will be trained and better ITC systems will be installed.
4. Telecom companies - largest taxpayers
On September 23, Vietnam Report in collaboration with electronic newspaper - VietNamNet - published the list of 1,000 top payers of corporate income tax in Vietnam. MobiFone is the largest taxpayer with nearly VND6 trillion, followed by military-run telecom firm Viettel Group.
In 2010, notwithstanding difficulties, ICT companies have continued to invest in telecom and internet infrastructure. Telecommunications providers saw a 57.2 % year-on-year increase in their revenues and pay 20.8 % more taxes than a year ago.
5. Tightened management over internet and online gaming business
To limit harmful effects of online games, the Ministry of Information and Communications and provincial/municipal affiliates nationwide took many drastic measures to improve management of online gaming. The ministry introduced five groups of measures, including intensifying inspection and examination, dealing with online game service providers; and increasing examination in online game agents.
At the same time, the Ministry required businesses to expand domestic production of online games with healthy contents to change social perceptions about online gaming.
This year, the Vietnam Internet Association was founded on June 23.
6. Information security becomes crucial to businesses and organisations
For the first time, the Ministry of Information and Communications delivered a message of information security at the “National Vietnam Information Security Day 2010” under the theme of “Planning national digital information security - Road ahead.” The ministry aims to raise public awareness about information security. They also want to promote the use of information technology security. This will help the State agencies manage and develop policies and regulations on information security.
7. Largest international book fair
The third International Book Fair - an event to celebrate the 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi, was opened in Hanoi from September 17 to 21, 2010. This exhibition was the largest ever book fair with 230 booths displaying and selling millions of books and cultural items about Thang Long - Hanoi, the Communist Party of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh, etc.
8. Vietnam hosts ASEAN photo, documentary film and reportage
In 2010, Vietnam played hosts to the inaugural photo, documentary and reportage festival on the lands and peoples of ASEAN. The event displayed nearly 7,000 entries from photographers, reporters, press agencies and film makers from ASEAN member countries.
9. Inaugural New Year Festival opens in Paris (France)
On February 27, the Vietnam and France Cultural Centre in Paris hosted the first New Year Newspaper Festival in Paris with more than 680 publications from 400 presses in Vietnam, heralding Vietnam’s deeper international integration and development of the Vietnamese communications on the international arena.
10. Vietnam wins first prize at UPU international letter writing competition
This year, Ho Thi Hieu Hien of Tay Son Junior High School in Hai Chau district, Da Nang city won the 20th International Letter Writing Contest held by the Universal Postal Union (UPU). She wrote on the theme "Write a letter to someone and explain why AIDS prevention is important". This is the first time Vietnam joined the contest after 20 years.
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