IT sector should think private, public

Co-operation between State-owned and private enterprises was advanced in a seminar on the “Public and Private Sector Joint Efforts for IT Development” held in Ha Noi yesterday.

The seminar was held by the Viet Nam Software Association (VINASA) and the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) as part of the four-day plenary conference, ASOCIO 2010.

In a speech delivered at the event, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong said the Government had paid much attention to co-operation and participation of businesses in mapping out policies to build socio-economic development strategies.

He said the country’s IT industry had seen considerable development in the context of the global economic crisis with a growth rate of over 20 per cent last year.

“Last year the sector earned the country US$6.26 billion, accounting for 7 per cent of Viet Nam’s GDP. The digital content industry saw the fastest growth rate of 50 per cent with a turnover of $700 million. The software industry also had an impressive 40 per cent growth rate with a turnover of $880 million,” Hong said.

In a seminar on enabling ICT for government, advisor of the National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) Dan E Khoo shared experiences on how Malaysia was transformed into an innovation-led economy and knowledge-based society.

Viet Nam is the 3rd biggest software outsourcing partner of Japan after China and India.

The ICT industry last year earned the country $14.7 billion, an increase of 36 per cent over 2008. It was also one of the top three fastest growing telecommunication markets in Asia.

“Viet Nam has 120 million mobile phone subscribers, 22.2 million internet users and eight telecom service providers,” Hong said.

He also said that the country had a huge, competitive cost advantage and a large base of 460,000 workers in the industry. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam infotech, Vietnam IT sector