Legal framework completed for national digital transformation

Legal framework completed for national digital transformation

Vietnam's National Assembly (NA) adopted the Law on Digital Transformation on December 11, contributing to the completion of the legal framework to accelerate the move.

The law comprises eight chapters and 48 articles, stipulating the principles, policies, coordination mechanisms, and responsibilities of agencies, organisations, and individuals in digital transformation activities. It also clarifies key aspects of digital government, digital economy, and digital society.

The NA adopted the Law on Digital Transformation. Photo: MST

The law affirms that data is central, and that data must be collected, managed, shared, declared once, and used efficiently to improve decision-making and service quality. The system must be designed based on open standards and architecture, supporting connectivity and integration from the outset, with standardised application programming interfaces that facilitate data sharing and interoperability between systems.

Users are placed at the centre of the digital system design process, ensuring convenience, accessibility, ease of use, and suitability for a wide range of target groups, including marginalised and vulnerable populations.

Article 9 of the law stipulates the state's policy system on digital transformation, emphasising the development of a unified, secure, reliable, and scalable digital infrastructure. The state promotes the formation and development of digital data, and encourages the development and use of shared digital platforms, open digital platforms, and digital technology products and services to serve governance and socioeconomic development.

The state's policy on digital transformation also includes ensuring cybersecurity and data protection, and encouraging innovation, controlled pilots, and the application of new digital technologies. The state supports businesses, cooperatives, and business households in implementing digital transformation, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises and businesses operating in areas with difficult or extremely difficult socioeconomic conditions.

Regarding attracting and utilising talent for digital transformation, Article 18 stipulates that state agencies and enterprises are allowed to hire experts and collaborators from both within and outside the country. Individuals with outstanding achievements in this field will be honoured and rewarded.

At the same time, officials and employees working on digital transformation in agencies within the political system will enjoy special benefits in terms of salary, allowances, working conditions, and career development opportunities.

To ensure effective implementation, the law stipulates that state management agencies responsible for digital transformation are tasked with developing a unified set of indicators to assess the level of digital transformation. Annual assessments of the national, ministerial, and local levels of digital transformation will be conducted.

The Law on Digital Transformation will come into effect on July 1, 2026.

VIR