The postal sector, after 20 years of the country’s renovation, has developed to a new high thanks to its sensible policies of exerting internal forces, renew its investment mechanism and competitiveness improvement.
Being aware of its role as a background for the overall development of the country, the postal sectorhas used all sources, potentials and strong points, improved management mechanisms, capacities, workforce, science and technology in order to develop. The sector has also attached much importance to developing these sources, potentials and strong points to add more momentum to the next new progress. According to Dr. Dang Dinh Lam, Deputy Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, the internal force is the driving force and the target of development. The effectiveness of the internal force promotion can be easily seen through the policies related to sectoral management, enterprise management, investment mechanism renewal and market expansion process over the past 20 years, which are divided into four stages 1986-1990 (start-up), 1990-1995 (acceleration 1), 1995-2000 (acceleration 2), 2000-2005 (integration and stable development).
At each stage, the sector has specific development policies. The first stage can be regarded as a breakthrough. This stage focused on renewing and removing red tape and subsidies and applying market-oriented mechanisms. Also at this stage, the post office infrastructure was developed to a new high and readied itself for all national requirements. The sector has reaped great successes in experiments in technological application, capital mobilisation, business operation and investment cooperation.
However, at this time, the United State had imposed a trade embargo on Vietnam and the sector still lacked capital for new investments. To modernise its international and domestic postal system and guarantee continuous connection with the rest of the world, the sector, basing on the analytical results of the first stage, decided to buy a large volume of equipment to overcome the embargo and ask for the establishment of several industrial joint ventures to raise capital and seek new technologies. As a result, the post office network was completely digitalised while the market was quickly expanded. With the increasing industrial capacity, the sector was ready for a stable technological renewal.
In the following stages, many large corporations were established to raise the capacity of the post infrastructure. The network capacity was upgraded with fibre optic cable, mobile communication service and internet services. To prepare for the opening of the post market and stable international integration, the strategy to develop the post sector by 2010 was ratified. The sector had witnessed drastic developments during this period, including the introduction of the Post and Telecom Decree, establishment of the Post and Telecoms Ministry and establishment of five new post and telecom providers: Viettel, SPT, Vishipel, VP Telecom, Hanoi Telecom, and many other internet service supply companies.
In the 2000-2005 period, with new amendments to the development strategy and policies, the postal sector has harvested more successes than expected. Providers have more products and services while customers have new technologies and low subscription charges. Telephone services have now reached most communes while internet services have also developed strongly.
After 20 years, the post office sector is able to meet the new demands of the country in this era of renovation. With its current capacity and experience, the post office sector is confident of entering a new phase of integration and stable development.
Vietnamese
