VietNamNet Newspaper respectfully introduces the full text of the speech of Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung on digital transformation.
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Minister Nguyen Manh Hung: Digital transformation (DT) is two clearly separate stories. The story of technology and the story of transformation. Photo: Le Anh Dung

The IT era is about applying technology to do old things better and faster, following old processes, without much change. That is why technology is the main story. Leaders are also caught up in the technology story, caught up in the wrong profession, and thus slow down the application process. In the IT era, because there is only one main job: technology, many organizations do IT themselves, and thus slow down the popularization of applications, and slow down the creation of IT businesses.

Digital transformation (DTS) is two clearly separate stories. The technology story and the transformation story. Of which, the transformation story is the main one, 70%. Technology is ready for all transformations and is waiting for the leader to order the transformation. Leaders should not be caught up in the technology story, because this is not the leader's job. Leaders focus on identifying the problems, the "pain points" of the organization and order the use of digital technology to solve them, ready to change processes and operating methods to achieve efficiency, this is the right job, the right role of a leader. Once you are in the right role, the right job, the work will be much easier.

In the digital age, there are clearly two different things. Change is the job of the leader. Technology, although 30%, is more difficult and complicated than in the IT era. Therefore, in the digital age, technology is basically transferred to technology enterprises to do, and this is also the right role and the right profession. After the leader has made a decision on digital age, the organization sets out a problem for the technology enterprise, supporting the enterprise with the organization's data and knowledge to complete the product, and then proficiently using it. Proficiency in use becomes an important requirement for successful digital age. Because perfecting software in the digital age cannot rely 100% on technology enterprises, but mainly depends on the requirements of users. Users can only set requirements when they are proficient in use. Proficiency in use also has another meaning, which is to exploit the full capacity of the software.

The right role assignment is always the deciding factor for success: Leaders set the problem, technology enterprises develop software, civil servants provide data and knowledge to enterprises and are proficient in using it. The role assignment of software development to enterprises will create excellent Vietnamese digital technology enterprises, help them grow and go global, forming large technology enterprises that will later have enough capacity to invest in research to master source technology.

A society in which every person and every organization in that society is assigned the right role is always the first condition to create excellent development. Once the role is right, then the work can be done. Knowing the role means doing your job and doing it to an excellent level.

Only when digital transformation becomes a career, a daily task of the entire Party and people, will the value it brings to the country be truly great. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Vietnam's digital transformation has entered its 5th year. With the speech on digital transformation by General Secretary and President To Lam on the day of the founding of the country, September 2, 2024, digital transformation in Vietnam has truly become the cause of the entire Party and the entire people. Only when digital transformation becomes the cause, the daily work of the entire Party and the entire people, will the value that digital transformation brings to the country be truly great. Only then will digital transformation be the main driving force for development. The past 4 years can be considered as the start, the pilot, the initial success in a number of areas, the formation of the theory and method of digital transformation in Vietnam. And in this 5th year, it has truly become the revolutionary cause of the Party, the State and the People. Digital transformation has become the focus of the activities of the Party and the State and there needs to be a strategic breakthrough so that digital transformation can make an important contribution to the completion of the 2 centenary goals.

To develop anything, you need institutions (laws, mechanisms, policies) for it. You need infrastructure for it. And you need staff and human resources to do it.

Digital transformation requires digital institutions. Institutions for digital government, digital economy and digital society. Digital institutions need to both keep up and create development. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Digital transformation requires digital institutions. Institutions for digital government (CPS), digital economy (KTS) and digital society (XHS). Digital institutions need to both keep up and create development. Only with digital institutions can digital transformation be comprehensive and universal, otherwise it will just be a flawed pilot. If the pilot is successful but not popularized, digital transformation will not create much value. The digital revolution is mainly an institutional revolution. Digital technology (CNS) creates big changes, creates new productive forces, creates new ways of operating for all organizations, and creates new business models. But if the law does not allow it, or does not create mechanisms and policies to promote new models and new ways of operating, the country will not reap the benefits of CNS. New models and new ways of operating are new production relations.

Digital infrastructure is needed for digital transformation. Digital infrastructure is strategic infrastructure, like transportation and electricity. Infrastructure must always come first, be invested in first, have a long-term vision, and be able to expand for decades. Vietnam's digital infrastructure includes telecommunications infrastructure, Internet infrastructure, data infrastructure (including data), and infrastructure to digitize the real world (for example, creating a digital copy of Ho Chi Minh City's drainage system so that it can then be simulated to find solutions to prevent flooding in the city). Vietnam's digital infrastructure must ensure ultra-wide bandwidth, be universal, sustainable, smart, open, green, and safe. Telecommunication infrastructure is invested and operated by businesses. Digital infrastructure with many components must come first to lead, so it also needs investment from the state.

Digital transformation requires digital staff. Digital transformation is a revolutionary cause of the Party and the State, so it requires staff who understand digital transformation to do it. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Digital transformation requires digital cadres. Digital transformation is the revolutionary cause of the Party and the State, so it requires cadres who understand digital transformation to do it. Without cadres to do it, policies and guidelines will continue to be policies and guidelines without being transformed into reality. Up to now, in many cases, after having made a decision on a matter, we have not arranged cadres with expertise and understanding of that matter to assign tasks, so implementation has always been our weak link. For example, after China declared to develop the country based on digital transformation, science and technology and innovation, General Secretary Xi Jinping required the leadership team to have extensive knowledge of digital transformation, science and technology and innovation to promote development, and Party committees at all levels must have a proportion of cadres with expertise and experience in digital transformation, science and technology and innovation.

Digital transformation requires digital skills, digital human resources and digital talent. Vietnamese people are good at IT, CNS and agile in innovation. This is a huge advantage for us. Vietnam has many CNS enterprises, not only can Vietnam transform but also can transform globally. Currently, revenue from foreign markets for CNS and digital transformation has reached nearly 10 billion USD/year, and is growing at a very high rate. Vietnam can and needs to become a global center for CNS human resources and a center for digital transformation for the world.

Increasing spending on digital transformation to 2-3% of the budget will be a big boost for digital transformation. This is an arrow that hits 2-3 targets. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Digital transformation also requires material resources. The government is the largest consumer of a country, if the government increases spending on digital transformation, it will stimulate digital transformation of the entire country. Currently, the government is spending about 1% of the budget on digital transformation, which is below the world average. Increasing spending on digital transformation to 2-3% of the budget will be a big boost for digital transformation. This is an arrow hitting 2-3 targets. First, building an online, smart, data-based, effective and efficient digital government. Second, if the government digitalizes, it will pull businesses and people to digitalize, creating a comprehensive and universal digital transformation. Third, a large digital transformation market will create many digital transformation enterprises, and among them will appear a number of large, excellent, leading enterprises, capable of mastering source technology and going global, becoming multinational technology corporations.

Digital transformation requires digital culture. Digital transformation creates a new living space - digital space. New space means new behavior. New space means new habits. But the new space must still inherit core values ​​from tradition, history, and national culture. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Digital transformation requires digital culture. Digital transformation creates a new living space - digital space. New space means new behavior. New space means new habits. But the new space must still inherit core values ​​from tradition, history, and national culture. Building digital culture in digital space is a long-term task, requiring propaganda, setting an example, and gradual absorption. If digital culture cannot be built, digital transformation will not be sustainable.

Digital transformation requires security and safety. If Vietnam wants to prosper, it must prosper in cyberspace. And it must protect that prosperity in cyberspace. Protect its people, businesses, and critical infrastructure in cyberspace. Building and protecting are always two sides of the same coin. To do that, Vietnam must be a powerhouse in cyber security and safety. It must have excellent cyber security and safety businesses. It must have modern digital weapons owned by Vietnam. On August 10, 2022, the Prime Minister signed and promulgated the National Cyber ​​Security and Safety Strategy.

Digital transformation creates three very special things. One is a new living space. Two is new resources (data). Three is intellectual labor. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Vietnam also has three very special advantages to carry out the digital revolution. First, the Party leads, so it can mobilize the entire political system and the entire population to successfully carry out the digital revolution. Second, the Vietnamese people are very capable of doing digital technology, mastering digital applications, and from there mastering digital technology. Third, the Vietnamese people are agile in transformation, in innovation - which is the foundation of digital revolution.