Decision No. 211/TTg Approves the National Program on Information Technology

DECISION

APPROVING THE NATIONAL PROGRAM ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

PRIME MINISTER

Considering the report No. 405/CNTT dated February 29, 1995 requesting approval of the overall plan for the National Program on Information Technology;
Based on the proposal of the State Planning Commission in its letter No. 3690/UB-KHGDMT dated December 8, 1994 and that of the Ministry of Finance in its letter No. 2843/TC-HCVX dated October 31, 1994,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approves the National Program on Information Technology - Overall Plan until 2000.

Article 2. The Ministers of Science, Technology and Environment, Finance, the Chairman of the State Planning Commission, the Governor of the State Bank, and the Heads of relevant sectors shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.

 

PROGRAM

OVERALL PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAM ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNTIL 2000
(Issued together with Decision No. 211/TTg dated April 7, 1995)

The Government's Resolution No. 49/CP dated August 4, 1993 on developing information technology in our country during the 1990s has outlined the general situation of information technology in our country, affirmed viewpoints, goals, and contents for developing information technology in our country until 2000, and proposed major measures to implement this important policy. This overall plan systematically presents the contents of work to be carried out from now until 2000 to implement the above Resolution 49/CP.

The general goal of building and developing information technology in our country until 2000, as determined in Resolution 49/CP, is:

To build solid initial foundations for an information infrastructure in society capable of meeting basic information needs in state management and economic-social activities; at the same time, actively develop the information technology industry into one of the key industries of the country, contributing to preparing our country for a worthy position in the region when entering the 21st century.

That general goal is reflected in the following specific goals:

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

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

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

d) Building a foundation for an information technology industry, producing valuable IT products and services, prioritizing the development of the "software" industry, while utilizing technology transfer capabilities to appropriately develop modern IT manufacturing facilities.

To achieve these goals, the overall plan for developing information technology in our country will focus on the following main contents:

1. Developing potential resources and building an information technology infrastructure to enable the information technology sector to have sufficient capacity to implement informatization projects and be widely applied in economic-social fields, while gradually and firmly establishing the national information technology industry.

2. Implementing key informatization projects in state management and in economic-social development fields, applying information technology in the industrialization and modernization of production and economy in our country.

I. DEVELOPING POTENTIAL RESOURCES AND BUILDING AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.

1. Education and training in information technology.

a) Human resources needed for the development of information technology:

The professional staff required for the development of information technology in our country in the coming years mainly includes specialists in: system analysis and design, programming, teaching and researching information technology, documentation compilers, installation, maintenance, and repair engineers for computer equipment, software system installation and maintenance engineers, network and communication engineers, economic analysts for information systems, and project management specialists.

The estimated number of such specialists needed until 2000 is not less than 20,000 people, of which more than half are programmers, about one quarter are system analysts, and the remaining quarter are other types of specialists.

Along with the professional staff in information technology, there should be plans for education, training, and instruction to equip leaders and managers, as well as professionals in various economic and technical fields, with the necessary knowledge and skills to use information technology tools as modern labor tools in their professional activities.

Vigorously promoting computer education in secondary schools is a very important measure to prepare the younger generation to access modern knowledge and means of information technology, laying a broad foundation for selecting and quickly training a professional workforce in information technology in the future.

b) Measures to strengthen education and training in information technology:

To obtain the human resources in information technology as described above, the following main measures will be implemented from now until 2000:

- Establish new or improve information technology departments at comprehensive universities and polytechnic institutes nationwide. These information technology departments must be equipped with modern computing and communication facilities, have standardized curriculum programs, and attract qualified information technology specialists to join their teaching staff (both full-time and part-time).

In the 1995-1996 plan, immediately promote the strengthening (or restructuring) of information technology departments at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science and Technology, and Da Nang University of Science and Technology, so that each information technology department can enroll between 100 to 200 new students annually for a four-year program.

- Open a two-year professional training system to train computer programmers and information technology technicians. This training system will be implemented in information technology departments of universities or in specialized information technology vocational schools. From now until the year 2000, this professional training system must be able to enroll approximately 2,000 new students annually.

- Along with professional training at the aforementioned information technology departments, it is necessary to strengthen the application of information technology training programs for students studying science, engineering, and economics outside the field of information technology. Organize refresher courses to convert a significant number of cadres, engineers, or graduates from other fields (mathematics, physics, economics, engineering, etc.) into information technology specialists.

- Establish several advanced information technology training centers. These centers will organize short-term or medium-term courses aimed at enhancing the skills, updating knowledge, and methods of modern information technology for our team of specialists and teachers, researchers. Advanced training centers will be piloted at the Ministry of Education and Training, alongside universities, research institutes, or independent centers established by companies or non-governmental organizations. Funding will be partially provided from the state budget, while additional funding sources will be sought through various forms of cooperation with foreign countries, multinational companies, and domestic information technology companies.

- To urgently address the shortage of teachers and key experts for educational programs and application projects, plans will be developed annually to send our specialists abroad for refresher or advanced training courses, while simultaneously selecting outstanding students to study regular programs in developed countries.

- Continue to actively implement the Computer Education Project in secondary schools, focusing on preparing all aspects more positively and comprehensively: developing teaching curricula, compiling teaching materials and textbooks, training new and supplementary teachers, equipping computers, etc.

- Encourage the establishment of schools and classes to train computer users with practical short-term programs at different levels, aiming to equip a growing portion of the workforce in society with the ability to use computers as a labor tool. The State will support the Computer Association and other computer organizations in developing information dissemination programs about information technology through various media such as newspapers, radio, television, etc.

- Develop the application of information technology in education and training, primarily by researching and developing high-quality educational software. In the coming years, develop educational software on computer science to meet the immediate needs of universal computer education and disseminate information technology knowledge widely in society. Subsequently, gradually expand the development of educational software for foreign languages and other subjects, as well as educational software for special groups.

2/ Research and deployment of information technology:

a) Determine the objectives for research and deployment of information technology.

The basic objectives of research and development on information technology in our country, as determined by Resolution 49/CP, are to absorb modern knowledge and understand the trends of information technology development worldwide in order to:

- Select appropriate strategies for transferring technology in building the infrastructure for information technology in the country.

- Possess the ability to research, analyze, and design computerized systems, as well as develop application software for information technology projects in state management areas and economic-social fields.

- Research, design, and manufacture products in information technology, particularly software products and specialized products serving the modernization of industrial production, thereby contributing to guiding and participating in the construction of the information technology industry in the country.

With these basic objectives, research and development activities on information technology in the near future will focus on applied research to create potential for effectively implementing knowledge and technology transfer, contributing to improving the quality and effectiveness of information technology application within the country. Basic research will continue to be encouraged in certain directions where we have the capability and conditions.

b) Organization of research and development on information technology:

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, it is necessary to evaluate and review the efficiency, direction, and content of activities at existing research institutions; from there, positive measures should be taken to reorient and strengthen research forces, equip material and technical facilities for research and development activities, specifically:

- Establishing the Institute of Information Technology under the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology, along with other key research institutions (under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Heavy Industry, etc.) to become core forces in research and development in the field of information technology.

- Strengthening the information technology departments in universities so that, alongside their educational and training functions, they become important research and development units in information technology, fully utilizing the capabilities of teaching staff and attracting young talent into research and development activities.

- Through supportive policies and preferential treatment, encourage the establishment of research and development rooms for information technology in various sectors, localities, and companies across all economic components, funded either domestically or through joint ventures with foreign partners.

- Urgently build a data communication network for education, research, and development within the country according to Internet procedures and standards, and through a common gateway connecting to the international Internet network, to facilitate information exchange among our educational, research, and development communities and their international counterparts.

3/ Development of the information technology industry.

a) Contents of developing the information technology industry in the country:

The information technology industry is a leading industry, but new to our country, thus its construction needs to be carried out actively while being carefully analyzed and calculated to avoid risks and wastage easily encountered.

Priority should be given to the development of software technology and service skills. The initial consumption market for products and services of this industry will mainly be the domestic market, and through the accumulation of experience and growth, efforts should be made to target the export market.

In the coming period, it is necessary to rapidly develop software personnel to meet application requirements and capture the domestic market for application software, develop software tailored to specific needs (such as processing Vietnamese text and data), software to replace imports (for products not available or imported at high prices), etc.

At the same time, the rapid development of professional information technology services, including system planning services, system design services, system integration services, maintenance and warranty services, office automation services, etc., should be promoted to meet the growing demand of the domestic information technology application market.

Hardware technology usually requires substantial basic investment and is built upon a foundation of developed industrial production. In the near term, we need to take advantage of cooperative joint venture opportunities and technology transfer to develop some production and assembly bases for computing equipment, following schemes calculated to be profitable, while also developing design and manufacturing bases for specialized communication and computing equipment to meet domestic needs, especially for data communication, automation, and modernization in industrial production sectors. Investment in training personnel is needed to develop the "software-based hardware industry," which is currently a suitable and promising direction.

Foreign multinational information technology companies establishing production bases for computers in Vietnam and using local labor will enjoy incentives under our country's investment laws.

b) Measures to encourage the development of the information technology industry:

- Research Institutes, computer facilities in universities, and domestic IT companies are encouraged to develop application software through favorable conditions and incentives in participating in bidding for implementation of software products for information technology application projects in the state management system as well as in other economic-social areas. Some Institutes and facilities with conditions are also encouraged and supported in investing in research, design, and manufacture of specialized computing equipment.

- Encourage and support the establishment of some software development centers (in certain cases with initial subsidies from the State Budget), operating independently or within institutes, schools, and IT companies.

- Assist in the establishment and support the activities of an association of software producers to promote the exchange of ideas, experiences, and organize collective activities such as seminars, training, participation in trade delegations familiarizing themselves with contracts and regulations in software goods trading, etc.

- Establish an information technology industrial park in the high-tech zone, along with implementing a software industry export-oriented project, viewed as a pilot step and active preparation for a potential future software export industry. This project will be carried out through technology transfer with the cooperation and work of foreign experts and overseas Vietnamese.

To actively support the rapid development of the information technology industry, especially the software industry, it is necessary to stipulate certain essential policies such as tax exemption or low tax incentives for software products, intellectual property protection for software products, export assistance, encouraging and financially supporting training, sending people abroad to participate in international academic activities, encouraging and facilitating the return of Vietnamese specialists from abroad to cooperate, helping software centers start operations by the state contributing shares, providing grants and preferential loans, helping find joint venture partners, etc.

4/ Data communication.

a) Demand for data communication:

Data communication in Vietnam is currently in its formative stage. In recent years, demands for data communication have begun to develop strongly along with the implementation of computer systems in banking, finance, and commerce sectors. The Post and Telecommunications sector has started establishing the VIETPAC X.25 network with optical fiber cables and providing public packet-switched data transmission services. When this network is completed and connected to the digitalized automatic telephone network, it will provide an important means for deploying data transmission networks for information technology application projects in economic and social sectors.

The rapid application of information technology in state management systems and in modernizing the country's information infrastructure requires the construction and implementation of many national-scale projects, all of which have significant latent demands for data communication. Priority should be given in the early stages to meeting data communication needs in areas of state management, market economy development, education, and research and development.

The demand for data communication will also increase rapidly as our economy and country integrate more deeply into the international community.

b) National data communication network project:

The national data communication network project aims, on the basis of the common transmission network built by the post and telecommunications sector, to develop basic data communication service systems, thereby providing infrastructure and services for all data communication needs in society. The network will have the ability to provide data communication services in various ways as follows.

- Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN),

- Public Packet-Switched Network (PPSN),

- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN),

- Bandwidth-on-Demand Service.

To meet users' requirements ranging from point-to-point or multi-point file data transmission, real-time data exchange, to organizing distributed databases, connecting local area networks (LANs) to form wide area networks (WANs), organizing electronic mail systems, etc.

By the end of 1995, the national data communication network will provide X.25 packet-switched subscription services to all provincial capitals and some districts, and by the end of 1996, to over 400 districts nationwide. By the year 2000, it is expected that basic data communication needs at various speeds will be met in all regions of the country. Thus, the national data communication network project will be actively implemented to provide necessary services for the development of information technology application projects in the coming years.

Based on the common transmission network of the post and telecommunications sector and the basic services provided by the national data communication network project, studies should be conducted to build application networks reasonably and economically.

Studies and construction of a unified application network for the state management system should be researched and implemented. The demand for data communication in state agencies is increasing, between the Government and central ministries and sectors together with provinces and cities. Due to these demands, and also due to specific requirements for information security, reliability, etc., a unified data communication network for the state management system should be established. This network is designed to transmit all types of information (voice, fax, data, images, and text); initially focusing on data transmission and electronic mail, laying the foundation for important services such as: quick reporting on socio-economic conditions, approving decisions, planning meetings and activities, distributing internal newsletters to designated recipients, accessing information systems and databases, etc.

II- APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

1/ Building national database systems and computerizing state management.

a) Requirements and general architecture of the system:

State management must be the top priority area for the application of information technology. The information foundation to serve the improvement of state management is the national database system, which has sufficient capacity to store and provide promptly and timely all necessary information about the country's economic, cultural, and social situation, as well as other related information, for state agencies to have a basis for making their decisions.

The system consists of components that are relatively independent national-level databases of ministries, sectors, provinces, and cities; however, there are many horizontal connections among these components with functions of exchanging and sharing information, as well as vertical connections according to the hierarchical structure of the state management functional system. Because the components are relatively independent both in terms of the nature of the data and the requirements of the management tasks they need to fulfill, it is natural that the process of computerization will be implemented relatively independently from the outset at ministries, sectors, and localities. At the same time, comprehensive analysis and design of the entire system must be conducted to clearly determine the requirements and methods of implementing common connections using IT tools, especially those within the hierarchical relationships of the system.

Therefore, the plan for applying information technology to build the national database system and computerize state management in the coming years will be: on one hand, conducting comprehensive research and design of the entire system and initially implementing the integrated database at the Government Office to serve the general management work of the Government; simultaneously, based on the coordination requirements of the overall design and their own specific requirements, ministries, sectors, and localities will gradually implement their respective IT projects; primarily for tasks and sectors directly impacting the general management functions of the state.

In addition to serving state management activities, the national database system must also be fully utilized to provide information services (according to necessary regulations and convenient formats) for all production, business, scientific research, cultural, and social development activities according to the needs of all economic sectors and individuals, both domestically and internationally.

b) Projects to build the national database system and computerize state management:

According to the above general architecture, IT projects will be studied and implemented in all ministries, sectors, and localities. However, in the coming years, focus will be placed on the following key projects:

1. Project to study and design the overall system and the information management system at the Government Office.

The project will be led by the Government Office, closely coordinated with the National Steering Committee for the Information Technology Program, aiming to achieve two main objectives:

a - Conducting comprehensive research and design of the national database system, determining the overall architecture of the entire information system and connections, particularly hierarchical relationships throughout the system, proposing IT solutions to implement these relationships.

b - Building an integrated database at the Government Office, connected to the databases of ministries, sectors, and localities (initially with 11 ministries and 10 key provinces/cities) to provide timely key information on economy, society, laws, defense, internal affairs, diplomacy... serving the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Government.

This integrated database will also be used for building and implementing IT projects to serve the leadership of the Central Party Committee and the National Assembly.

2. Project to build an economic and social information system to serve planning and economic management work.

This project will be led by the State Planning Commission, with the goal of establishing an IT-based information system to serve the Government's economic planning and management, while providing economic and social information services to various sectors, research institutions, production bases, businesses, and individuals in society.

The system includes subsystems for policy analysis and formulation, economic management, financial management, debt management, resource mobilization, banking, and investment projects. The primary sources of information for the system are mainly collected from central ministries and sectors (especially from finance, banking, statistics, trade...), planning agencies at all levels, foreign aid agencies, and international organizations. The information output of the system includes economic analyses and forecasts, planning options, management and economic operation decisions; guidance on economic and social issues, consulting and information inquiry services on economics and society, etc.

3. Financial Information System Project.

This project will be led by the Ministry of Finance, with the goal of establishing a modern financial information system, setting up a unified national financial database system to meet the following needs:

- Providing accurate, timely, and complete information to ministry leaders and leaders at all levels as a basis for making decisions to manage the national financial system.

- Extracting quick and periodic information according to the most important indicators for the finance sector to provide to government and National Assembly leadership agencies.

- Facilitating and quickly exchanging and providing information to different state sectors such as the State Bank, the State Planning Commission, the State Committee for Cooperation and Investment...

In the near future, existing information systems that have been initially deployed and are operational, such as tax information systems, state treasury information systems, and budget systems, will be expanded and improved. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to complete the overall outline of the project to continue advancing its implementation according to that overall outline.

4. Modernizing the Banking System Project:

This project will be led by the State Bank, with the participation of the State Bank and commercial banks.

The general objectives of the project are:

- Completing the systems, regulations, standards for information standardization, technical standards, and modern payment procedures.

- Expanding cashless payment coverage in the community, especially in the private sector.

- Building a modern national payment system according to the modern service requirements of banks.

- Improving the banking database system to ensure the timely and accurate provision of information for state monetary policy planning.

Along with important applications related to banking operations such as providing payment services to customers, establishing a national and international payment network, implementing electronic payment settlement and electronic money transfer services, etc., the information system implemented through the Project will provide information on payment activities, trade, business in both public and social sectors, statistical data, reports, etc., serving the State in formulating monetary, financial policies, and economic management in general.

5. Projects on National Statistical Information Systems:

The national statistical information system is a basic information system of the country, providing official information on key indicators reflecting the current situation of the country in all economic, social, cultural, educational, health, etc. fields, information on infrastructure and natural resources. These information systems are collected from various sources: regular statistical reports from all industries and localities; comprehensive surveys such as population census, national asset inventory, etc., and also sample surveys to serve specific goals. Through various processes of compilation and processing, these systems provide data for the Government and state management agencies in planning national development plans and projects, providing information services for production, business, economic research, culture, and are the official source of information for international statistical agencies.

The project on applying information technology in the national statistical system, led by the General Statistics Office, will continue the modernization of the national statistical information system, initially focusing on databases on population, labor, industrial and agricultural production, and gradually developing more comprehensive databases on socio-economic aspects of the entire country.

The geographic and remote sensing information system on resources and environment, implemented by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, with the ability to store map information, images, etc., is an important information system serving the formulation of economic development plans and environmental protection in the country.

In addition, in some other sectors, there are also projects to build specialized statistical information systems, such as land administration information systems, forest resource information systems, mineral and oil and gas information systems, etc.

2. Information technology in security and defense areas:

Security and defense are fields that require the application of the latest achievements in science and technology. Although still limited in capability, information technology has been applied in some activities of the security and defense sectors since its early development in the country.

The scope of issues related to the application of information technology in these fields is very broad, ranging from general management issues, technical improvements, to specialized operational issues.

Implementing Resolution 49/CP of the Government, the security and defense sectors have proposed projects to further promote the application of information technology in their respective sectors. These projects will be further improved scientifically and technologically, and will receive state investment for implementation.

3. Building a commercial and market information network:

a) Information needs of the market economy:

The reform process is rapidly transforming the country's economy towards a market economy. In recent years, the domestic market has developed quickly, gradually stabilizing and becoming healthy, and is gradually integrating into regional and international markets. The development of the market economy requires a large volume of information exchange, which must be promptly, accurately, and securely provided.

Based on projects proposed by the Ministry of Trade, the Government Price Control Board, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, concerted efforts should be coordinated and resources mobilized from all economic sectors to build and implement a common project on a commercial and market information network.

b) Commercial and Market Information Network Project:

The commercial and market information network project can be built based on standardizing, upgrading, and developing the current Ministry of Trade's commercial information network, linking with databases established at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Government Price Control Board, trading agencies, and enterprises.

The commercial and market information network will provide economic and commercial information to all state agencies, enterprises, and individuals according to the requirements of production, business, market research, etc., offering investment and business advisory services, goods brokerage services, foreign enterprises. In the future, the network will be the main place for businesses to conduct commercial transactions.

The project is led by the Ministry of Trade, with coordination from the Government Price Control Board, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and voluntary participation from enterprises. The state will provide or support part of the initial investment capital for construction and implementation.

4. Application of information technology in modernizing production and service sectors:

a) Information technology and the cause of industrialization and modernization:

Industrialization and modernization are fundamental contents of the cause of building and developing our country in the coming decades. That cause, in the context of the current scientific and technological revolution, is closely linked to the application of information technology. The application thereof for production and service industries is extremely rich and diverse, including the following types of content:

- Partial or full automation of production processes, manufacturing, such as design automation (or computer-aided design, CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), automatic control of machine manufacturing processes, scheduling of production networks and power supply, etc.

- Incorporating electronic-information elements into industrial products themselves to create "information" devices and machines, which are gradually replacing many purely mechanical devices and are designed and produced to meet a wide range of demands in all fields of activity.

- Applying information technology in upgrading and modernizing service activities, especially in international sectors such as tourism, transportation, aviation, insurance services, entry-exit services, etc.

b) Information technology application projects in modernizing production and services:

In the early stages of industrialization and modernization, our production and service industries are currently and will continue to be equipped with many machines, equipment, and technology chains imported from abroad; along with this process, we will build and develop our capacity in equipping modern equipment and technology for our production base. The application of information technology in modernizing production and service industries will be organized into separate projects, or as an important component in modernization projects of industrial enterprises or service organizations.

For industrial production facilities that exist, it is necessary to carefully study each case, so that in places with suitable conditions, establish and implement upgrade and modernization projects by introducing information technology and automatic control elements into necessary and feasible stages of production chains.

Study the possibility of establishing and implementing a model project on a completely and synchronously informatized industrial enterprise, from organizational stages, planning, management, operation, production automation, to marketing, product consumption, and business activities.

The application of information technology plays a very decisive role and brings high economic efficiency to many important service sectors. It is necessary to actively implement information technology application projects in a synchronized manner for service sectors and companies in important areas for socio-economic development.

Promoting the application of information technology in the production and service sectors is the responsibility of industries, enterprises, and service facilities under all forms of ownership. The State needs to have preferential investment policies, loans, tax exemptions, etc., for projects introducing information technology into production and service industries with clear evidence of their ability to improve quality and efficiency.

The most important measure in this field is to strengthen investment in training, research, and implementation to have a team of specialists, engineers, technicians with modern knowledge of information technology in each production and service sector, capable of proactively introducing information technology advances into specific fields of those sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen training programs on information technology for technical and economic disciplines at universities, enhance research and implementation departments on automatic control, design automation, etc., at research institutes, advanced training centers, and software development centers mentioned in this plan.

5/ Information technology serving health, culture, and social sectors:

In the initial stage of the information technology development program in our country, we must focus on building and developing applications in fields with the most urgent needs such as state management, the development of a market economy that is just beginning to form, etc. However, in the long term, we need to pay attention to the fact that information technology is a revolutionary factor in improving the overall quality of life for people and the rich relationships in society - and according to global trends, information technology will play a major role in developing our society towards forming an "information society."

Information technology contributes to enhancing the quality of life for people both economically and culturally, spiritually, and the quality of social welfare, particularly healthcare and health care.

On the spirit of encouraging and actively supporting every initiative in applying information technology proposed and implemented by cultural, health, and social sectors. The State will invest in researching and implementing some important projects:

- An information technology application project in health work and health protection, with main contents being the implementation of health statistics, developing disease prevention plans and health protection measures, serving scientific research, improving the quality of health services and caring for the health of the people, etc.

- An information technology application project in population and family planning work, with contents building population databases and population development, implementing family planning measures, etc., to help the Population and Family Planning Commission and the State formulate population policies and plans.

- The project on applying information technology in the preservation of national cultural heritage, with the main content being the use of information technology to build databases on cultural heritages such as Nom script and Han-Nom texts, graphic materials, etc., so that these archives can be preserved and enhanced through modern methods, and more importantly, can be conveniently exploited and utilized for research and popularization purposes of national culture.

III - POLICIES TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The implementation of Resolution 49/CP of the Government on the development of information technology will have a profound impact on all aspects of economic and social life in our country. To achieve the goals set out in the Resolution, it is necessary to mobilize many resources from state agencies, the education and research system, all economic and social organizations, businesses of all economic sectors, etc.

In this spirit, in the coming time, it is necessary to urgently study, draft, review and promulgate some urgent policies and measures in the following areas:

1/ Policies on standards and open systems:

Resolution 49/CP on the development of information technology has considered "open systems" as one of the main viewpoints in the development of information technology in our country, aiming to increase efficiency and reduce waste, ensuring consistency between the development of information technology infrastructure, training and education in information technology, building an information technology industry, and developing information systems in the application of information technology.

Developing information technology according to the open system viewpoint requires determining and adhering to a set of standards and standard groups - these standards are selected in accordance with the prevailing trends in the development of information technology in our country.

The framework of standards for an open system environment in the development and application of information technology should include categories such as: operating system services, human-computer interface issues, specific Vietnamese issues (such as Vietnamese character coding standards...), database management services, data exchange and transmission services, computer networks, graphic services, data security, system management, and other issues.

It is necessary to promptly study and propose the aforementioned types of standards to submit to the Government for issuance. All state agencies must comply with legal standards prescribed by the Government. Non-state organizations are encouraged to adopt and comply with the open system policy. Compliance with legal standards is implemented through the review of investment funding for projects from the state budget. Exemptions from mandatory compliance with standards may be considered for specific cases only when there are genuine requirements of special applications with valid reasons.

2/ Policies and measures for the construction of information technology infrastructure:

In the coming years, many information technology application projects will be implemented in the public sector as well as in other economic components of society. The information technology infrastructure in terms of computers/telecommunications in our country will gradually be formed. The policies and measures in this section aim to ensure that the construction of this infrastructure avoids possible wastage and develops in line with modern trends in the general development of information technology. In addition to the above policies on standards and open systems, it is necessary to prepare to issue the following policies:

a. Policy on purchasing information technology products and services for projects funded from the state budget:

All plans for purchases of this type must go through tendering procedures and contracts. This procedure includes public announcement, bidding, and monitoring of the bidding results. This policy ensures that information technology needs are correctly identified, qualified suppliers are properly selected, and financial or legal contract conditions are subject to supervision. This policy also provides a mechanism to ensure that unified and consistent technical standards, such as open system environment standards, are followed in state projects.

b. Policy on developing data transmission telecommunications networks:

The need for data communication means is common among all users of computing and information technology application projects. Based on a unified physical layer telecommunications network, allowing different telecommunications companies to establish and operate value-added service networks, competing healthily to serve customers. There is a preferential pricing policy for telecommunications charges for organizations and activities in the fields of education, research, and development.

c. Policies to support the development of domestic information technology industry:

To promote the domestic information technology industry, implement preferential credit policies to establish Vietnamese enterprises (or joint ventures controlled by Vietnam) in the information technology sector, particularly for enterprises producing software products and providing information technology services.

In the tendering process for state projects, appropriate preferences are given to domestic information technology organizations and enterprises.

d. Tax and depreciation policies for equipment:

To facilitate the regular updating of information technology equipment in line with modern scientific and technological progress, and also to encourage users to invest in purchasing equipment for information technology applications, there will be preferential tax policies by allowing accelerated depreciation of equipment and products (both hardware and software) used in those applications.

3/ Policies to encourage training.

Based on the implementation of measures to strengthen education and training in information technology as presented above, additional policies will be supplemented to exploit all possibilities to enhance and encourage the training of skills for the cadre of information technology officers in our country. These policies and measures include:

- Encouraging vocational schools and non-state training institutions to conduct training and instruction.

- Regulations allowing the teaching of information technology in both Vietnamese and English to quickly train engineers and specialists who can work smoothly with foreign entities.

- Multinational companies implementing information technology development and application projects shall, according to contracts, select and train skills for Vietnamese personnel participating in such projects.

Along with the aforementioned training policies and measures, there will also be regulations stipulating minimum requirements for knowledge in information technology and proficiency in using computer tools for cadres and staff selected to work in state agencies.

4/ Policies and measures for the development of information technology systems.

a. Creating sources of information and standardizing generated information:

In the implementation of information technology application projects, the most important aspect is the construction of information systems and databases. Identifying standardized information sources and types of information from generated sources is the primary requirement for collecting information to build informatization systems. Resolution 49/CP has stipulated that the Government Office, in collaboration with the General Statistics Office, the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, shall promptly issue regulations standardizing information types for the most critical state management activities. According to these standardized information regulations, Ministries, agencies at the level of ministries, government agencies, provincial People's Committees, and centrally-administered city People's Committees shall study and issue information standards within their information systems serving management purposes. Forms and reporting procedures must be improved and supplemented according to the requirements of information technology applications. The mandatory implementation of information regimes shall be institutionalized through legal provisions.

b. Information exchange and information protection:

The development of informatization systems will rapidly increase domestic and international information exchange volumes. Information exchange and protection shall be conducted in accordance with the country's open economic policy. Resolution 49/CP stipulates that the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism shall lead in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Justice to develop policies for information exchange and protection based on the principle that all economic sectors are equal before the law regarding the right to information and communication within the country as well as with foreign economic entities, aiming to serve their business activities; international and foreign information exchanges must comply with international practices and current laws of the country; ownership rights and confidentiality of personal and organizational economic and social information shall be institutionalized through laws and implemented through scientific solutions.

5/ Policies on technology transfer and international cooperation.

a. On technology transfer:

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

The Ministry of Education and Training shall lead in collaboration 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 necessary fields and levels that we have not yet been able to train.

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

b. Inviting advisory experts:

To effectively utilize foreign and overseas Vietnamese experts and advisors, in accordance with the directive stated in Resolution 49/CP, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall collaborate with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Central Overseas Vietnamese Committee to develop policies encouraging the invitation of foreign experts and overseas Vietnamese experts to serve as advisors or participate in implementation of application projects, educational and training programs, and scientific research plans for the construction of foundations for the information technology industry.

c. Encouraging foreign investment:

To encourage foreign investment in information technology, policies shall be implemented for foreign investors to establish joint ventures or wholly-owned foreign enterprises for production, provision of services, and supply of hardware and software products related to information technology with the most favorable incentives possible (according to the Law on Foreign Investment) such as tax exemptions, reduced profit taxes, and reduced repatriation taxes, preferential land tax rates, and other incentives as prescribed by law. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, together with the State Council on Cooperation and Investment, shall review and approve foreign investment projects in information technology consistent with the country's policies on information technology development.

6/ Policies to support and mobilize capital for information technology development.

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

- The State will invest and not recover the capital provided for implementing plans to incorporate information technology into state management and national defense and security, education and training plans, and dissemination of knowledge about information technology, and partially for scientific research and implementation.

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

- Encourage different economic sectors to self-invest in applying information technology to business, production, and service activities. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with the State Planning Commission, the State Bank, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to study and promulgate policies and incentives for economic sectors to increasingly participate in the construction, development, and application of information technology.

To implement these policies, the annual budget of the National Program on Information Technology shall be recorded as a separate item in the State budget and reviewed annually in the national financial plan.

7/ Intellectual property protection policy and copyright.

Protecting intellectual property rights and copyrights in the field of information technology, especially for software products, is a requirement that must be respected to create a healthy environment for rapid development of the information technology industry in our country.

Resolution 49/CP clearly states that the Government of Vietnam is ready to participate in international treaties related to the transfer of technology concerning industrial property in the field of information technology. Our State has enacted the Ordinance on the Protection of Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights. Based on this spirit, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to prepare draft regulations to be submitted to the Government for issuance regarding the implementation of that Ordinance in the field of information technology.