Decree No. 102/CP on the establishment of Ha Long City under Quang Ninh Province

N |||RESOLUTION

On the development of information technology in our country during the 1990s

Information technology (IT) is a collection of scientific methods, modern technical means and tools, primarily computer and telecommunication technologies, aimed at organizing, exploiting, and effectively using abundant and potential information resources in all fields of human and social activities. IT directly serves to improve state management, enhance the efficiency of production, business, and other economic and social activities, thereby contributing to improving the quality of life for the people. IT develops on the foundation of the development of electronic, computing, telecommunication, and automation technologies.

This Resolution summarizes the current situation of IT in our country, affirms viewpoints, goals, and contents of IT development in our country until the year 2000, and proposes major measures to implement this important policy.

I- CURRENT SITUATION AND REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN OUR COUNTRY

1- After national reunification, the Council of Ministers issued two resolutions (No. 173/CP-1975 and No. 245-CP/1976) on strengthening the application of mathematics and electronic computers in economic management, and enhancing the management and use of electronic computers nationwide. Following the Sixth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the implementation of the policy of economic and social renovation requires that economic and social activities have full, accurate, and timely information. The relatively easy importation of computers into the country has created conditions for many institutions to be equipped with modern IT means. However, such development is mainly spontaneous, technical foundations are still limited to individual computers or local networks, and the effectiveness of computer use in various economic and social fields remains low.

2- Our country is currently basically still lagging behind in information: a reliable information system has not been established and cannot meet the timely needs of state management and operation from central to local levels; there is a lack of information both domestically and internationally for production, business, service, scientific research, and other social activities.

3- The postal and telecommunications network in our country, in addition to telephone, telegraph, and fax transmission capabilities, now has the ability to transmit data, thus enabling the organization of computer information networks. However, these intranets still need to be improved quickly in terms of both quality and capacity to build a national data transmission network and connect to international networks.

4- Currently, the number of specialized staff working in the field of IT in our country is still small, and they have not been assigned and coordinated according to a unified goal to create a combined strength. Young cadres have not been supported and encouraged adequately to fully utilize their labor and creativity. Universities have only trained a few students in areas related to IT. Equipment and information for training purposes are still lacking. Nevertheless, due to the increasing demand for computers, the popularization of computing in some large cities has been carried out quite actively in recent years.

Our country has only a few research and development bases related to IT, but due to weak material and informational conditions, these bases have not had the capability to conduct deep research in line with modern IT directions. In recent years, some research teams have achieved encouraging results in developing some application software and tool software.

5- The IT industry is an industry that produces hardware and software products for computers, computer services, telecommunications equipment, and telecommunications services. Although we have prioritized the development of electronic, computing, telecommunication, and automation technologies, it is not yet sufficient to form an IT industry.

6- Our country has the potential and favorable conditions for the development of IT: the ongoing economic renovation is creating an urgent need for the application of IT and providing conditions for its development; rapid technological changes in this field worldwide help us to take advantage of and apply new achievements of this technology immediately; we also have a large human resource potential, including Vietnamese living both inside and outside the country who can actively and creatively work in the field of IT.

The above situation requires our country to quickly develop IT in all fields of activity to enhance the quality and efficiency of state management, production, business, services, and accelerate the comprehensive renovation process of the country.

II- GENERAL VIEWPOINTS AND GOALS OF DEVELOPMENT

OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN OUR COUNTRY

1- General viewpoints on the development of IT in our country:

a) Developing IT mainly based on the absorption of technology from abroad. It is necessary to seize the latest and most advanced technologies to shorten the huge technological gaps between our country and others and avoid the mistakes made by some countries during their development process. To master these new technologies, it is essential to train and develop skilled labor forces, promote domestic research and development, and cooperate with foreign research.

b) Developing IT in our country based on the "open system" viewpoint. This viewpoint allows systems and products to adapt and operate according to the expansion and growth requirements of those systems. It is necessary to build systems based on selected standards that align with global IT development trends and domestic IT application requirements.

c) Developing IT in our country mainly aims to apply it to economic and social activities to enhance the quality and efficiency of management, production, business, and service activities. The application of IT must bring about profound improvements and innovations in economic and social fields, and IT must become a driving force for our renovation efforts.

2- The objectives for building and developing information technology in our country until the year 2000 are:

To establish initial solid foundations for an information infrastructure capable of meeting basic information needs in state management and socio-economic activities, while actively building the information technology industry into one of the leading industries of the country, contributing to preparing the country's position worthy of its place in the region when entering the 21st century.

By the end of the 1990s, we must achieve the following specific goals:

a) Building a system of interconnected computers and communication means with powerful software tools and information systems and databases capable of serving state management activities and key economic activities. Some domestic information systems will be connected to international information networks;

b) Widely applying information technology to increase productivity, quality, and efficiency in production and business, gradually modernizing important manufacturing and service sectors and national defense security. Strengthening the application of information technology in basic research activities, natural resource exploration and environmental surveys, scientific research, and other activities;

c) Popularizing "information culture" in society to create a favorable environment for preparing towards an "information society";

d) Establishing a foundation for an information technology industry, producing valuable software products and services, prioritizing the development of the "software" industry, while utilizing technology transfer capabilities to appropriately develop modern computer component and equipment production facilities.

III- CONTENTS OF DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNTIL THE YEAR 2000

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO THE YEAR 2000

1- Information Technology Serving State Management

In order to provide comprehensive, accurate, and timely information to meet all requirements of the state apparatus in decision-making and managing state affairs, improving the provision of information from the state to the economy and society and the people, contributing to improving the organization of the state apparatus and computerizing administrative work in state agencies, it is necessary to build and implement immediately some national projects on information technology as follows:

National Administrative Information System,

Comprehensive Economic Information System,

Scientific and Technological Potential Information System, Resources and Environment.

It is necessary to quickly form a network of management information systems of Ministries, sectors, and localities according to a unified program so that they can be interconnected.

2- Information Technology in Economic and Social Activities

To facilitate the circulation of essential market economy information smoothly and create new dynamism in the economy, gradually modernizing production sectors, it is necessary to build and implement projects on the National Information Management System for finance, banking, markets, prices, and import-export. Encouraging and creating a favorable environment for businesses in all economic sectors to proactively organize and implement information technology projects for their business and service activities.

It is necessary to focus on implementing some urgent contents regarding the application of information technology as a factor in modernizing energy, transportation, postal services, and applying information technology in modernizing and improving the quality of products in the production sector. Early organizing and implementing some information technology projects in healthcare, population, and culture.

3- Information Technology and Education, Training

Leveraging human resources and intelligence is a decisive factor for the success of information technology development. It is necessary to quickly train a professional team in the field of information technology, popularize information technology education in secondary schools, widely disseminate knowledge about information technology in society, and at the same time strengthen the application of information technology within the education and training sector.

Early building and implementing the national project on information technology and education, training with the main contents as follows:

Actively researching and applying information technology in educational and training work.

Building and gradually perfecting departments and majors in information technology at universities to train information technology professionals, while taking advantage of all possible cooperation to open professional courses to supplement information technology knowledge.

Building and implementing plans for information technology education in the education and training system to ensure that all students from secondary school onwards will study information technology and practice using computers by the year 2000.

Developing all forms of training, disseminating knowledge, and equipping the ability to use computers as a labor tool for a part of the workforce in society.

4- Research on Information Technology

Research work on information technology in our country must aim to absorb modern knowledge and understand the trends in the development of this technology worldwide to:

Select appropriate technology transfer strategies for building the information technology infrastructure in our country,

Design and develop application software for information technology projects in state management and socio-economic fields,

Research and manufacture information technology products, especially software products, to serve the construction and development of the information technology industry domestically.

It is necessary to build the Institute of Information Technology in the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology into a leading institute for research and implementation in the field of information technology;

Strengthening research work at universities and having incentives for establishing research and development institutions on information technology in various sectors and organizations belonging to different economic components.

5- Building the Information Technology Industry Foundation

Actively producing software to serve the domestic information technology application market, while aiming at export capabilities to gradually participate in the world market,

Taking advantage of building industrial production bases for hardware from low to high levels based on transferring foreign technology to Vietnam in various forms.

There must be special policies and measures to quickly form software development centers, enterprises producing equipment in the field of information technology, and to strengthen networks of computer services capable of meeting all domestic market needs for information technology. These production and service facilities need to be encouraged to develop in all economic sectors and to associate with foreign joint ventures.

6- Computer and Telecommunications Infrastructure

Based on the "open system" viewpoint, the structure of information-computer systems must be based on certain standards (both hardware and software) to be integrated into the national network and to be compatible with international networks, therefore it is necessary to:

Study an architecture for information-computer systems suitable for Vietnam's conditions according to appropriate standards,

Urgently build a national data transmission network capable of transmitting data between information processing centers throughout the country and from there form information-computer networks for key areas, while promoting research to organize in the future public data transmission systems and specialized networks, linking domestic information networks with regional and international telecommunications networks. The national data transmission network must have sufficient speed and capacity according to current international data transmission standards and procedures.

IV- MAJOR POLICIES AND MEASURES TO

PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

1- Create sources of information and standardize information generated in society.

In implementing IT application projects, the most important content is to establish information systems and databases. The Government Office shall take the lead in coordinating with the General Statistics Office, the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to promulgate soon regulations standardizing various types of information for the most important state management and administrative activities. According to these standardized information regulations, ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries, government agencies, provincial people's committees, and centrally governed city people's committees shall study and promulgate information standards in their own information systems serving management. Various forms and reporting systems for information transmission must be improved and supplemented according to the requirements of IT applications. The implementation of mandatory information regimes shall be institutionalized into legal provisions.

2- Standardization for imported equipment in the field of information technology

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Heavy Industry, the Post and Telecommunications General Department, and the Ministry of Trade to determine standards for computer equipment requirements, imported software tools, and communication devices. These standards must be respected when importing equipment and software from state budget sources and from other non-state budget sources. This standardization should not create unreasonable constraints but is very necessary to facilitate equipment warranty, cooperation, and mutual support, improve the efficiency of IT products and services, increase accessibility, and thus enhance the effectiveness of domestically produced application software.

3- Exchange and protection of information

The exchange and protection of information must be carried out in accordance with the country's policy of opening up the economy. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Justice to formulate policies for exchanging and protecting information based on the principle that all economic components are equal before the law regarding the right to information and information exchange within the country as well as with economic entities abroad to serve their business activities; information exchanges with international organizations and foreign countries must comply with international practices and current laws of the country; the ownership and confidentiality of personal and organizational economic and social information will also be institutionalized through law.

4- Technology transfer and international cooperation

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment shall concretize the Ordinance on the transfer of foreign technology into Vietnam in the field of information technology development; take the lead and coordinate with the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Heavy Industry, and the Post and Telecommunications General Department to develop an international cooperation program for information technology development, including loan projects for information technology development.

The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to develop plans for training personnel abroad for information technology development, including scholarship policies for students studying abroad, internships, and research in fields and at levels we have not yet trained.

The State Planning Commission shall be responsible for allocating a significant portion of international aid programs, especially ODA programs, for projects related to training, research and development, and application of information technology.

5- Utilizing foreign experts and consultants and Vietnamese experts and consultants abroad.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Central Overseas Vietnamese Committee to develop policies to encourage inviting foreign experts and Vietnamese experts abroad to serve as consultants or participate in implementing application projects, education and training programs, and scientific research plans, and plans to build foundations for the information technology industry.

6- Supporting and mobilizing capital for information technology development

It is necessary to mobilize many capabilities and sources of capital for the construction and development of information technology. In the initial stage, the state provides investment capital for major programs and projects. In subsequent years, more and more other sources of capital will be mobilized, particularly from production and business organizations in different economic sectors. The State Planning Commission shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the State Council on Cooperation and Investment, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to develop policies and plans to support and mobilize capital for information technology development according to the following principles:

The State invests and does not recover capital allocated for implementing plans to incorporate information technology (IT) into state management and national defense security, education and training plans, and IT knowledge dissemination, and partially for scientific research and implementation.

The State organizes business operations and investments to build IT infrastructure such as computer-telecommunication infrastructure and IT industry infrastructure. The State will invest to establish initial facilities to attract foreign investment in high-tech zones, including IT. The State will also directly invest or form joint ventures with foreign entities to construct and organize the operation of certain national information processing centers.

Encourage various economic sectors to independently invest in applying IT to business activities, production, and services.

The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead in coordinating with the State Planning Commission, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to study and promulgate policies and systems to encourage economic sectors to increasingly participate in building, developing, and applying IT.

7- Preferential treatment in the use of telecommunications means for scientific and educational activities

The General Post Office Administration shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to study and promulgate low postal rates for the use of telecommunications means to exchange information during scientific research and educational activities.

8- Protection of intellectual property rights and copyright

To enhance the exchange of software products, improve the effectiveness of research and development activities, and service activities in IT, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to concretize the application of the Ordinance on the transfer of foreign technology to Vietnam, the Ordinance on the protection of industrial property rights, and other regulatory documents issued by the State for the IT sector. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall study and report to the Government on participating in international treaties related to technology transfer and industrial property rights in the IT sector.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

1- The Government assigns the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to take the lead and coordinate with the State Planning Commission, relevant ministries, and other agencies to develop the National Program on Information Technology. This program includes activities aimed at implementing the contents outlined in Parts III and IV of this Resolution.

2- The Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment shall take the lead in directing the implementation of the National Program on Information Technology. Relevant agencies: the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministries of Finance, Heavy Industry, Energy, the State Bank of Vietnam, the General Statistics Office, the General Post Office Administration, the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology, the National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities, shall appoint dedicated representatives to regularly participate in the work of the Program.

3- The State Planning Commission, together with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, shall forecast the allocation of funds from the State budget annually and from foreign aid sources (including ODA) for the implementation of the National Program on Information Technology and submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

4- The Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment shall be responsible for guiding and urging ministries, sectors, and localities to implement this Resolution.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for enforcing this Resolution./.