Vietnam government approves programme on development of digital economy and society

Vietnam government approves programme on development of digital economy and society

With government’s latest approval on development of the digital economy and digital society for 2026-2030, the country is concretising major policies, especially Resolution No.57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of science, technology, and national digital transformation.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on June 9 signed Decision No.1033/QD-TTg approving the programme. This is a nationally significant initiative, contributing to making sci-tech and digital transformation the main driving force for rapid and sustainable economic growth in the new era.

The programme is built on a holistic, comprehensive, and inclusive approach, encouraging digital transformation throughout the entire economy and social life.

Photo: The MST

The programme covers most key sectors and sectors such as agriculture, industry, trade, logistics, energy, education, healthcare, finance and banking, culture, and tourism, while also expanding into emerging areas such as data economy, AI, low-space economy, and space economy.

The programme sets notable goals for 2030. Regarding the digital economy, it aims for the digital economy's added value to reach approximately 30 per cent of GDP; support at least 500,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in digital transformation; have at least five digital technology companies on par with advanced countries; and develop, encourage, and put into use at least five data platforms.

The value of cashless payments is 30 times GDP. The proportion of higher education training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields reaches 40 per cent.

Regarding the digital society, the goal is to achieve 100 per cent of households having access to fibre optic broadband internet with a speed of 1 Gb/s.

By 2030, the 5G mobile broadband network will deliver minimum speeds of 100Mb/s and cover 99 per cent of the population. All Vietnamese citizens aged 14 and above will possess identity cards and electronic identification accounts. At least 95 per cent of people aged 15 and above will have transaction accounts with banks or other authorised institutions, while more than 70 per cent of those aged 18 and above will hold personal digital or electronic signatures. In addition, at least 10 million working-age people will receive basic digital skills training.

Key tasks and solutions

To achieve these targets, the programme sets out 15 key priorities.

These include completing a transparent and synchronised legal framework to support innovation, digital transformation, and the development of the digital economy and society; rapidly expanding secure and sustainable digital infrastructure; and building shared national digital platforms and a Vietnamese-owned digital ecosystem to address cross-sectoral and regional challenges.

The programme also aims to develop the data economy as a new growth driver, accelerate the adoption of AI across industries while ensuring ethical standards and privacy protection, and strengthen cybersecurity to build trust in the digital environment.

Workforce development is another key focus, including expanding digital skills across society, developing digital technology specialists, promoting digital citizenship, and fostering a healthy and inclusive digital culture.

Authorities will support the growth of Vietnamese technology firms as a strategic force in mastering key digital technologies, developing "Make in Vietnam" digital products and services, and expanding into international markets. The programme also seeks to advance data-driven digital governance, improve transparency and efficiency in public administration, and accelerate the digitalisation and automation of public services.

Photo: The MST

Other priorities include developing markets that support the digital economy, such as technology, data, carbon credit, and asset-exchange markets; encouraging digital transformation across sectors ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to energy, education, healthcare, tourism, and logistics; and strengthening cooperation among government agencies, businesses, research institutions, and training organisations.

The programme emphasises public awareness initiatives, the promotion of Vietnam's digital economy on international platforms, and the continuous study of global best practices and emerging technologies to ensure policies remain flexible and responsive to rapid technological change.

Given its cross-sectoral nature, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) is assigned as the lead agency to coordinate the overall implementation nationwide, ensuring synchronisation among ministries, sectors, and localities in the development of digital infrastructure, digital data, digital platforms, and digital economy and society development schemes for each sector and industry.

The programme marks a significant shift from the foundation-building phase to the comprehensive development phase of the digital economy and digital society in Vietnam.

Together with the digital government development programme for 2026-2030, the initiative on development of the digital economy and digital society for 2026-2030 contributes to fully completing the three pillars of national digital transformation, namely digital government, digital economy, and digital society, creating an overall framework for ministries, sectors, and localities to synchronously implement digital transformation tasks, boosting economic growth, enhancing national competitiveness, and leading Vietnam to prosperity in the digital age.

VIR