On September 19, 2017; Ministry of Information & Communications hold a ceremony to announce the publication of the White Paper of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Vietnam in 2017.
This is an annual publication of the Ministry of Information and Communications from 2009 to provide official information on ICT industry. In two years 2015 - 2016, the Ministry of Information and Communication has focused on reviewing the IT indicators system to improve statistical indicators and the ICT sector in general and the ICT White Paper in particular in accordance with the actual development situation and international practice. In 2017, Ministry of Information and Communications has coordinated with other relating ministries, sectors, localities and organizations to collect data, analyze and synthesize information to develop and issue ICT White Paper for timely supply data information for Party and Government, Ministries, branches, localities, associations and enterprises in the country and internationally.
The ICT White Paper in 2017 focuses on providing key statistics on the performance of the ICT industry in 2015 and 2016, covering 12 areas: IT application, IT industry, information security, telecommunications, internet, broadcasting, electronic information, post and telecommunications, etc.
Compared with previous years, the ICT White Paper 2017 supplemented some indicators in accordance with international practice to respond to information demand to manage and promote ICT development in Vietnam such as online public services, IT application in enterprises, TV audience measurement indicators, IT services sector, etc. Content and information published related to data on organizations, IT enterprises, IT events has been reduced.
The Vietnam ICT White Paper 2017 will be printed in both Vietnamese and English versions for serving the using and reference easily. The Vietnamese version has been printed and will be pre-printed, the English version will be finalized, printed and released later, in October, 2017. At the same time, the Ministry of Information and Communication will publish this document in electronic format on the online portal so readers can widely access it.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Truong Minh Tuan said that in 2016, the growth rate of the ICT industry increased by 9.1%, 3% higher than the country’s GDP growth. According to the rankings provided by various international organizations, Vietnam has been named on the world IT map, especially in the field of IT services and software outsourcing.
The total number of IT enterprises nationwide in 2016 was estimated at 24,501, an increase of 13.13% compared to 2015. The total revenue of IT sector in 2016 was at over VND 1.5 trillion (US$66 million), an increase of nearly 11.5% over 2015.
IT export turnover was estimated at $ 60.8 billion, of which electronic hardware stood at over $57.7 billion and software at $2.5 billion. Total State budget contribution reached VND34.3 trillion, equivalent to 3.4% of the total State budget.
In the past time, the Party and State paid much attention to the development of IT industry, especially in the context of the world trend. In the advanced technology, especially the industrial revolution 4.0 with IT is the foundation for innovation and creativity. In Vietnam, IT is considered as the infrastructure of socio-economic infrastructure, the driving force for the country's development, enhancing national competitiveness and contributing to the industrialization and modernization. IT is also a state management area that is very interesting and paid special attention to the current period.
Vietnam ICT White Paper 2017 is a prestigious publication providing information for the state management, market development, investment attraction, international economic integration in the ICT field through official statistics by the Ministry of Information and Communications, reflecting the current status of ICT development in Vietnam and International countries, Minister Truong Minh Tuan confirmed.
At the ceremony, the Minister expressed his wish that the ICT White Paper of Vietnam in 2017 continues to be a useful publication for state management agencies to work out policies and provide valuable information for many domestic and foreign organizations. It will be a reference for business activities, seeking investment opportunities and cooperating in the IT sector, contributing to the strong development of the ICT sector in Vietnam.
400 copies of the Vietnam ICT White Paper 2017 will be released and published to ministries, sectors and localities, foreign business associations, enterprises and organizations, and embassies operating in the field of information technology in Vietnam.
By Thuy Le