4:01:15 PM | 17/7/2009
The government of Vietnam will focus on developing IT service and software industries to become a key sector of the country’s economy in the next seven years, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said.
Nhan made his mark at the 14th annual Vietnam Computer Electronics World Expo meeting held in HCM City Wednesday.
The government plans to spend VND980 billion (US$58 million) from now until 2012 to boost the development of software and digital content industry.
Vietnam will also earmark VND900 billion to train IT staffs, who are in high demand among local and foreign companies over the next five years, Nhan said, noting that IT manpower will be a key to the industry’s development.
Nhan asked the Ministry of Information and Communications to outline a plan to help the IT industry develop quickly and sustainably.
The country’s software and IT service industry is still small, with total turnover of US$648 million, or 0.5 percent of last year’ gross domestic production (GDP). Up to 70 percent of companies in the industry have limited capital of below VND1 billion and less than 10-member staff.
With Vietnam ranked among the top 10 most attractive markets for software outsourcing in the world under the 2009 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) published by AT Kearney, the potential for growth is huge, participants at the conference said.
By maintaining a year-on-year growth of 40 percent, the industry would reach US$6.2 billion in revenue, or 2.5 percent of Vietnam’s GDP by 2020, said Chu Tien Dung, chairman of the HCM City Computers Association. (
www.chinhphu.vn, Young People), Young People)
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