State Bank of Vietnam Governor, H.E. Le Duc Thuy and the World Bank Country Director for Vietnam Klaus Rohland on June 1, 2006 signed agreements for a concessional credit of US$88 million to support the Vietnam Information and Communication Technology Development (ICT) Project.
SBV Governor said at the signing ceremony, “Vietnam Information and Communication Technology Development (ICT) Project supported by the World Bank is an important part of the Government strategy to build e-Government and ICT as well as our socio-economic development plan 2006-2010. This project aims at helping to promote e-commerce and competitive capacity and development of Vietnamese business firms. It also helps to improve online services of Department of Post and Telematics of the participating cities and enhance the cities’ portals and their ICT infrastructure. Moreover, it supports the implementation of e-government initiatives, building of a comprehensive ICT architecture and development of online applications.”
The loan of US$88 million expects to bring greater availability of and access to information about government policies, services and procedures. The project will increase the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of government agencies, contribute to better provision of public services, while effectively combating corruption. The project will also improve the ability of citizens, businesses and the public in general, to participate in the information society.
World Bank Vietnam Country Director Klaus Rohland said, “Worldwide experiences over the past ten years have clearly demonstrated that comprehensive national action and public policies on telecom and ICT are viewed as a prerequisite for establishing the necessary institutional capacity, infrastructure and human resources to successfully manage structural changes and reap the benefits of ICT. The World Bank, along with other development agencies, stands committed to supporting such efforts to deepen and broaden sustainable development in Vietnam.”
The project comprises five subprojects in three areas: (a) leadership in information and communications technologies (ICT) and modernization of the Ministry of Posts and Telematics (MPT); (b) modernization of the General Statistical Office (GSO), (c) and E-applications for the municipalities of Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.
Subproject 1: ICT Leadership and MPT Modernization will support the implementation of the government’s national ICT strategy, assessing and improving telecommunications policy, improving the operating efficiency and effectiveness of MPT, and the ICT capability of other government ministries through the CIO function. Specific components will include the following: (1) development of E-Government in MPT; (2) portal creation; (3) CIO training; (4) ICT policy and regulation capacity building; (5) technical assistance in telecommunications regulation; and (6) ICT budget for innovation initiatives.
Subproject 2: GSO Modernization will support the implementation of the strategic plan for modernization of GSO, in particularly, improve the quality, transparency and timeliness of socio-economic and poverty related data and information to fully meet the demands of government agencies, research institutions, and other data users as the basis for policy planning and decision making; to modernize the system to reach an advanced level in the region; and to improve timeliness of data statistical analysis and dissemination of useful data and statistical information. The components to contribute to these objectives include: (1) ICT infrastructure upgrade at GSO; (2) data flow and statistical analysis enhancement through ICT; and (3) GSO portal and intranet creation.
Subprojects 3, 4 and 5: E-Applications in Hanoi, Danang, and HCMC will support activities to enhance the ICT environment in these cities, provide the basic foundation for deployment of e-government in the cities’ district offices and departments, and development of various types of e-government services; and promote e-applications for businesses and develop ICT skills. The components to be undertaken under these subprojects include: (1) development of a strategy, roadmap and conceptual IT Architecture for the cities’ e-government development, (2) local e-government enablement, including data centers and ICT transaction centers, (3) e-applications and e-commerce, and (4) ICT human resource development and awareness-raising.
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