Initial Results of Digital Transformation Recorded
Ha Minh Hai, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee (HPC), stated that Hanoi is the heart of the nation, a city of peace, and the political-administrative center of Vietnam. It is also a major hub for culture, education, science and technology, economy, and international integration, and is a special metropolis undergoing robust development.
Hanoi covers an area of over 3,300 square kilometers and is one of the 20 largest capitals by natural area globally, with a population exceeding 8.5 million. In 2023, the city’s economy is projected to be around $55 billion, accounting for nearly 13% of the national economy. The city’s budget revenue makes up about 23% of the country’s total, with domestic revenue comprising approximately 26%.
In the first 10 months of 2024, Hanoi’s economy continued to grow, with social welfare ensured. The city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) for the first nine months increased by 6.12% compared to the same period last year (5.99% in the first nine months of 2023). The total state budget revenue in the first ten months of 2024 exceeded VND 425 trillion, reaching 104.1% of the estimate, up 21.8% year-over-year. Over USD 1.6 billion in FDI was attracted, with 233 new registered projects.
However, the city faces several challenges in its development, including a large population and uneven population density (9,343 people per km² in urban areas and 1,394 people per km² in suburban areas). Traffic congestion and environmental pollution are emerging bottlenecks that need to be addressed to facilitate breakthrough development, etc.
Digital Transformation Across Various Sectors
“To achieve sustainable and inclusive green development, alongside developing modern and interconnected infrastructure and building a high-quality workforce, the application of science and technology, innovation, especially administrative reform, and digital transformation across all sectors, are crucial breakthrough solutions being implemented by Hanoi,” said Vice Chairman Ha Minh Hai.
On December 30, 2022, the Hanoi Party Committee issued Resolution No. 18 on digital transformation, aiming to build Hanoi into a smart city by 2025, with an orientation toward 2030. The goal is to make Hanoi a fundamentally smart, modern city by 2030, progressively integrating with smart urban networks regionally and globally…”
With this vision and objective, Hanoi has outlined key tasks and solutions, which have been implemented, resulting in some positive initial outcomes.
Specifically, regarding mechanisms and policies, and support mechanisms for residents and businesses in using online public services: Hanoi has developed and submitted the revised Capital Law to the National Assembly. It has reviewed and developed planning, regulations, and systems of technical economic standards.
Hanoi is the first locality in the country to issue a resolution supporting fees for providing judicial record information through the VNeID electronic identification and authentication application.
The city also pioneered the issuance of a resolution stipulating a “zero” fee for organizations and individuals submitting applications for public services online.
In terms of digital infrastructure investment and the development of important digital platforms and applications, Hanoi has synchronized the deployment of digital reporting systems, digital signatures across all three administrative levels, and smart meeting rooms to serve city-wide directive and executive activities.
For applications serving citizens and businesses, the city has aggressively implemented the Capital Digital Citizen application (iHaNoi), enabling real-time quick interaction between citizens, businesses, and city authorities in a digital environment;
The city’s electronic health record system, connecting 651 public and private medical facilities, ensures the availability of 3.5 million health records on the VNeID application. Judicial records can be issued through VNeID. The “Hanoi Transport Ticket Card” application, using dynamic QR codes, is being piloted for public transport.
Furthermore, the city is piloting cashless parking to ensure transparency in parking fee collection and protect residents’ rights.
Enhancing Administrative Reform with the “Digital Citizen” Model
Hanoi’s digital transformation achievements have been initially recognized, with the provincial digital transformation index (DTI) assessed by the Ministry of Information and Communications rising 19 places (from 2020 to 2022). Hanoi ranks first in the overall ranking of the information technology industry index and has held the second spot for seven consecutive years in Vietnam’s E-commerce Index.
According to the 2023 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index, Hanoi ranks first in the e-Governance index.
One Goal – Three Principles – Six Aspirations
At the 2024 conference connecting government directive and executive information in the online environment with the portals of ministries, sectors, and localities, Vice Chairman Ha Minh Hai emphasized, quoting Party General Secretary To Lam’s article on September 2, 2024, “We are at a point where a revolution with strong reforms is required… This is the digital transformation revolution, applying science and technology to restructure production relations in line with the significant advancements of production forces.”
Digital transformation is not merely about applying digital technology in socio-economic activities but also about establishing a new, advanced, and modern production method—”digital production method,” which is the driving force for economic transformation in the digital and scientific era.
Hanoi perceives and identifies this not just as a technological revolution but also as a revolution in perception, thinking, culture, and social structure.
Vice Chairman Ha Minh Hai highlighted the city’s motto “One Goal – Three Principles – Six Aspirations”.
The one goal is: To develop Hanoi as a civilized, modern, green, smart, peaceful, prosperous capital, globally connected, with core values of “Service Government – Dedicated Enterprises – Trusted Society – Happy Citizens.”
The three principles are: Rule of law – Always listening – Service attitude.
The six aspirations are: Comprehensive awareness – Long-term vision – Creative thinking – Smart solutions – Decisive actions – Substantial outcomes.
Based on this, the city is determined to develop Hanoi into a smart, modern, green, clean, beautiful, secure, and safe city by 2030, with a vision toward 2050, as guided by the 2022 Politburo Resolution 15. The aim is to build a Hanoi that promotes the development of the Red River Delta, the northern key economic region, and the entire country with the spirit “The whole country for Hanoi, Hanoi for the whole country”.
Phuong Ngan