Decision No. 56/2007/QD-TTg approves the Program for the Development of Vietnam's Digital Content Industry until 2010.

Pursuant to …;

Approves the Program on Developing the Digital Content Industry in Vietnam until 2010

 Vietnam until 2010

___________

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Information Technology dated June 29, 2006;

On the basis of Decision No. 246/2005/QĐ-TTg dated October 6, 2005, of the Government approving the Strategy for Information Technology and Telecommunications Development until 2010 and orientations until 2020;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves the Program on Developing the Digital Content Industry in Vietnam until 2010 with the following main contents

I. Views and Objectives

Clause 1. Views

The digital content industry is a new economic sector with great potential for development, providing high added value, promoting the development of information society and knowledge-based economy, making significant contributions to the industrialization and modernization of the country. The State particularly encourages, provides incentives for investment, and supports the development of this industry into a key economic sector.

The State allocates part of the budget for training human resources for the digital content industry, invests in developing modern information and communication infrastructure, perfects the legal environment, and creates favorable conditions for businesses producing and trading in digital information content to develop.

The State has special preferential policies for certain key digital information content products. Encourages the development of the domestic market to create momentum for the Vietnamese digital content industry to move towards export in the coming period.

Clause 2. Objectives

a) General Objective: Develop the digital content industry into a key economic sector, contributing increasingly more to GDP, creating favorable conditions for various strata of the population to access digital information content products, and strongly promoting the formation and development of an information society and knowledge-based economy.

b) Specific Objectives:

- The digital content industry achieves an average growth rate of 35-40% per year. Total revenue from the digital content industry reaches 400 million USD per year;

- Establishing a team of 10-20 strong digital content enterprises, each having over 500 professional workers;

- Mastering core technologies in the digital content industry, producing some key products capable of competing; establishing online digital libraries; building some specialized databases; effectively providing electronic consultation and treatment services and remote education.

II. Policies and Measures for Development

1. Measures to Perfect the Legal Environment for the Digital Content Industry Sector

- Promptly promulgate guiding documents, implement, and enhance the enforcement effectiveness of regulations under the Law on Electronic Transactions, the Law on Information Technology, the Law on Intellectual Property, especially intellectual property in the software and digital information content sectors.

- Review and improve related legal normative documents concerning Internet management and accessing information content on the network in a direction to simplify procedures.

- Create a fair and healthy competitive environment, creating conditions for organizations and individuals from all economic sectors to participate in investing in the development of digital information content products and services.

- Establish a favorable business environment on the network, facilitating electronic payments; electronic transactions, electronic certification; ensuring information security and confidentiality.

- Enact specific provisions to protect personal information, protect business secrets, and other privacy rights of those participating in online transactions.

2. Policies and Measures to Develop the Market

a) Stimulus Measures and Domestic Market Development:

- Building and vigorously implementing programs and projects to develop content and provide information on the network; creating conditions for remote information access, narrowing the digital divide between rural and urban areas. Expanding and strengthening the activities of village post offices and Internet service providers nationwide;

- Building Internet usage culture for various strata of the population. Promoting awareness among the people about the benefits of the Internet and digital information content products and services. Vigorously promoting training programs to support citizens and students in exploiting and using digital information content and public services;

- Promoting the program to bring the Internet to schools, encouraging and supporting schools to exploit Internet resources in teaching and learning; at the same time, increasing the application of virtual experiments, electronic lesson plans, and electronic learning materials in subjects and training programs;

- Strengthening market management to ensure fair competition, prevent commercial fraud, and violations of intellectual property rights;

- Prioritizing allocation of state budget funds, while mobilizing other resources to invest in database construction projects, online service provision, research and development, acquisition, exploitation, and use of digital information content products and services.

b) Export Market Development;

- Investing in developing key digital information content products that can replace imported products and have export prospects;

- Encouraging research and production of multilingual digital information content products and services, focusing on commonly used languages such as English, Japanese, French, and Chinese;

- Enhancing promotion and marketing of the Vietnamese digital content industry to the world. Building and vigorously implementing trade promotion programs for Vietnamese digital information content products and services;

- Organizing international exhibitions and seminars on the digital content industry in Vietnam, supporting Vietnamese enterprises to attend international events on the digital content industry abroad, creating opportunities for meetings between Vietnamese digital content enterprises and foreign enterprises.

3. Product and Service Development

a) Developing Products and Services to Meet General Social Needs:

- Prioritize budget allocation from the central state budget, local state budget, and mobilize maximum resources from individuals, organizations, and enterprises to invest in researching, producing, and developing products and services of online content on the Internet and mobile networks, especially multimedia products/services, with the aim of enhancing information provision to society and digital entertainment services;

- Invest in the National Library and some large libraries in centrally-administered cities and universities to develop online digital library solutions, digitize books, newspapers, and documents to form the Vietnamese Digital Library system;

- Invest in researching and developing educational materials and learning resources for distance education, electronic learning (e-learning), particularly lectures, exercises, electronic dictionaries; virtual experiments in physics, chemistry, biology;

- Strengthen the development of electronic banking (e-banking) products and services, including electronic payments, money transfers via the network; opening or closing accounts, checking account information via the network; online advisory services for banking services;

- Vigorously develop health consultation, examination, and treatment services through the network, initially at public hospitals in major cities;

- Vigorously implement the Plan for Developing Distance Education Phase 2005-2010 according to Decision No. 164/2005/QD-TTg dated July 4, 2005 of the Prime Minister;

- Vigorously implement the Comprehensive Plan for Developing E-commerce Phase 2006-2010 according to Decision No. 222/2005/QD-TTg dated September 15, 2005 of the Prime Minister. Strengthen the development of e-commerce services, including online business services, online shopping;

b) Develop certain products and services that can replace imported products and have export potential:

- Focus investment in researching and producing key Vietnamese video games, particularly online games, interactive games, and TV game shows with content suitable for Vietnamese culture and history;

- Invest in building infrastructure and researching and producing certain digital films, animated films, and digital multimedia products bearing the Vietnamese brand;

- Vigorously develop Internet television and mobile television services;

c) Promote digitalization and provision of digital information content in state agencies:

- Vigorously implement programs and projects providing online public services by state management agencies. Prioritize investment in researching and developing products and solutions supporting the provision of online public services;

- Prioritize funding for state agencies and public institutions to digitize their content information archives and provide them online. Invest in building certain specialized digital libraries and data repositories according to the management fields of Ministries and sectors;

- Encourage scientific research institutions, institutes, and schools to provide online advisory services on science and technology issues; publications, documents, specialized books, and periodicals;

4. Mobilize Resources and Attract Investment for the Digital Content Industry

- Prioritize budget allocation for programs and projects investing in developing the digital content industry. Issue a list of digital content products/sectors eligible for preferential investment;

- Allow and expand foreign investors' markets for providing and trading digital information content products in certain areas currently restricted in Vietnam;

- Encourage and create favorable conditions for venture capital funds to invest in Vietnamese enterprises producing and trading digital content products and services;

- Implement policies to attract overseas Vietnamese to invest in researching, developing, producing, and trading digital content in Vietnam;

- Enhance international cooperation with countries in the region and worldwide in developing the digital content industry;

5. Develop Telecommunication Infrastructure and Internet

- Vigorously implement the Planning for Developing Telecommunications and Internet in Vietnam until 2010 according to Decision No. 32/2006/QD-TTg dated February 7, 2006 of the Prime Minister;

- Encourage telecommunications service providers to invest in building and upgrading telecommunication systems. Expand connection types and diversify network access technologies;

- Facilitate the development of value-added services directly related to the provision and development of online information content;

- Encourage and support organizations and enterprises to invest in developing, upgrading, and expanding digital television, cable television, and satellite television systems to diversify information infrastructure;

6. Training and Development of Human Resources

- Build and issue plans for training digital content human resources;

- Incorporate specialized courses and subjects on digital content into regular university and college curricula;

- Train teachers involved in teaching subjects directly related to digital content to reach advanced levels in the region;

- Encourage collaboration between businesses, universities, and research institutes both domestically and internationally to develop human resources for the digital content industry;

- Vigorously conduct advanced training courses on information technology for cadres and students in social sciences, culture, and arts;

- Encourage organizations and enterprises to send staff abroad for specialized training in digital content. Prioritize additional scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate studies abroad under scholarship programs supporting development and funded by the state budget (according to Project 322 of the Ministry of Education and Training) for candidates studying multimedia communication and digital content;

- Organize short-term advanced and specialized training courses on skills and technologies for the digital content industry;

- Strengthen international cooperation to send labor in the digital content industry abroad for study and work;

7. Vigorously Promote Research and Development

- The State prioritizes allocating the annual budget for scientific research and technology to invest in programs and projects for researching, developing, and transferring technology in the field of digital content industry, while implementing policies to encourage individuals, organizations, and businesses to invest in research and development in this field.

- Implementing flexible policies for the transfer of technology in the digital content industry; enhancing international cooperation to research, develop, and transfer technologies supporting the creation and development of digital information content.

- Studying the construction and standardization of standards for the development of digital content, standardizing electronic websites, and standardizing data.

- Investing in infrastructure and equipment for research institutes and universities to conduct research, transfer technology, and produce products in the digital information content industry.

- Building a proposal to establish a National Research and Support Center for Digital Information Content and Multimedia Implementation Plan to be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

8. Strengthening the assurance of safety, security, and intellectual property rights.

a) Strengthening the assurance of cybersecurity:

- Investing to enhance capacity and increase the effectiveness of the system for responding to and resolving computer incidents and preventing cybercrime, ensuring cybersecurity.

- Investing in building and perfecting legal regulations and technical measures to ensure information security on the internet, preventing the spread of viruses and spam advertisements.

b) Strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights:

- Promoting the implementation and strict compliance with international treaties and commitments regarding intellectual property that Vietnam has signed.

- Promoting propaganda and education on the awareness of complying with intellectual property laws for society; increasing the organization of training courses, seminars, and forums to raise awareness and compliance with intellectual property laws.

- Implementing policies and measures to protect investors and customers.

III. Key Projects

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall base their plans and implement appropriate projects according to the contents of the Program to achieve the set goals. Some key projects include:

1. Project to build remote medical consultation and treatment services implemented by the Ministry of Health.

2. Project to develop an online library system (e-library) on the internet led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the National Library.

3. Project to research, construct, and perfect regulations on Internet management and the provision, publication, and distribution of digital content products and services on the network led by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

4. Project to enhance the enforcement of laws on intellectual property rights for software and digital content implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology.

5. Project to promote trade, develop markets, and build brands and images for the Vietnamese digital content industry led by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade.

6. Project to invest in the development of key electronic game products suitable for Vietnamese culture and history carried out by the Vietnam Software Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

7. Project to invest in the development of some digital films and television game shows with Vietnamese trademarks led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Vietnam Cinema Department.

8. Proposal to establish a Research Institute for Developing the Digital Content Industry with a focus on a Multimedia Laboratory, Digital Content Information Laboratory, and incubation centers led by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

9. Project to build a system of digital information standards and data exchange standards led by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

Article 2. Implementation

1. Implementation period of the Program: from 2007 to 2010, specifically as follows:

- In 2007: guiding the construction of projects and implementing the contents of the Program.

- In 2008-2010: implementing projects and the contents of the Program.

- In 2010: summarizing the results of the Program's implementation.

2. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will lead and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and provincial People's Committees under the Central Government to organize the implementation of this Program.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and provincial People's Committees under the Central Government within their functions, tasks, and authorities have the responsibility to organize the implementation of appropriate programs, proposals, and projects to achieve the set goals.

4. Specific responsibilities of ministries, sectors, and localities

a) The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will lead the implementation of solutions to complete legal regulations on management, provision, and use of services on the Internet and telecommunications networks; on production, publication, and provision of digital content products and services on the network; standards and structures for digital information and data exchange; regulations and measures to ensure cybersecurity; policies and solutions to develop enterprises, products, and services in the digital content industry; measures to stimulate domestic market development for digital content; support to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises; strengthen telecommunications and Internet infrastructure; build and implement short-term training programs on digital content skills and technologies; lead the establishment of a National Research and Development Center for the Digital Content Industry; coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to implement policies and solutions to develop the digital content industry.

b) The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead in implementing the construction and improvement of legal regulations and enhancing the capacity to enforce laws on intellectual property in the field of software and digital information content; guiding and improving procedures to facilitate the rapid publication, export, and import of digital information content products; guiding the National Library and related libraries to develop proposals for digital library systems; directing the Cinema Department to implement projects to invest in developing some digital films and television games with Vietnamese brands; coordinating with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and relevant ministries and sectors to implement other policies and solutions to develop the digital content industry.

c) The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, provincial People's Committees under the central government, and relevant ministries and sectors, to implement measures to maximize the mobilization of capital sources, concentrate resources, and strongly attract domestic and foreign investment for the development of the digital content industry; balancing and integrating resources into the state budget plan annually for projects, programs, and plans for the development of the digital content industry by ministries, sectors, and localities; creating favorable conditions to attract foreign investment and overseas Vietnamese investment in producing and trading digital information content in Vietnam.

d) The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, to establish and issue preferential regulations on tax, credit, loans, land leasing, and infrastructure for organizations and enterprises operating in the digital content industry; establishing and issuing regulations on import taxes for foreign digital information content products and services; prioritizing the allocation of funds for programs and projects to develop the digital content industry by ministries, sectors, and localities.

đ) The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and relevant ministries and sectors, to organize and implement solutions to promote the development of human resources for the digital information content industry through expanding courses and subjects in this field, increasing the number and improving the quality of training in public and private schools; promoting distance learning programs; stipulating and encouraging the use of electronic teaching materials in teaching and learning activities; maximizing the exploitation of online knowledge resources for educational purposes at all levels.

e) The Ministry of Trade shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and relevant ministries and sectors, to organize and implement solutions, programs, and projects to promote trade promotion, strengthen publicity, introduce, and build brands for the Vietnamese digital content industry; cooperate and support domestic organizations and individuals in trade promotion, knowledge and technology transfer regarding digital information content.

g) The Ministry of Science and Technology shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and relevant ministries and sectors, to promote research and development activities in the digital information content industry; prioritizing investment in research and development projects and technology transfer in the field of digital information content; strengthening efforts to protect industrial property rights in the digital information content sector; investing in researching and developing open-source software solutions and services on networks.

h) The Ministry of Health shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and relevant ministries and sectors, to implement policies and measures to promote remote health consultation and telemedicine services.

i) The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and relevant ministries and sectors, to establish mechanisms and policies to enhance labor export in the digital information content industry.

k) The State Bank of Vietnam shall take the lead in establishing mechanisms, policies, and regulations, and promoting the implementation of convenient and secure online payment, money transfer, and financial transactions; strengthening the provision of online banking services (e-banking).

k) Provincial and centrally-administered municipal authorities shall base their actions on the contents of the Program to develop and prioritize the allocation of investment funds for suitable projects; digitize information repositories to enhance digital information resources, build local databases, research and develop, and provide online services; support the enhancement of competitiveness for digital content enterprises; develop digital information content products suitable for local characteristics.

Article 3. Budget for Implementing the Program

1. The budget for implementing the Program is approximately 1.280 billion VND. The sources of the budget are as follows:

a) State budget (40% from the central budget and 30% from local budgets).

b) Mobilized from contributions of organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally (accounting for 30%).

2. Annually, the Ministry of Finance shall coordinate with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to determine the level of support from the central budget according to the provisions of the State Budget Law to implement the program.

3. Provincial and centrally-administered municipal People's Committees shall approve the portion of the budget for implementing the Program from local budgets.

4. Agencies specified in Clause 4, Article 2 of this Decision, within their authority, shall be responsible for approving the portion of the budget from the state budget as well as mobilizing contributions from organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally to implement assigned contents.

Article 4. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 5. THE MINISTERS, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL MINISTRIES, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL AGENCIES, AND CHAIRMEN OF PROVINCE AND CITY PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THIS DECISION./.