Growth Driver from ICT Development and Application

Information communication and technology (ICT) application and development in Kon Tum province has produced certain results and significantly contributed to e-government construction and administrative reform for better socioeconomic development, thus accelerating the reform process and strengthening local competitiveness.

Up to now, document management software has been deployed to all units and localities across the province and interconnected across four levels of administration: Commune, district, province and nation. All administrative agencies at provincial and district levels have installed the direction and administration control system (reminder software) to reduce delays and omissions. Important information systems have been centrally installed and enhanced security systems such as the electronic information portal system and online public service portal system.

In 2018, Kon Tum province brought online 32 administrative procedures categorized as Level 3 and Level 4 public services. The introduction of online public services initially assisted administrative procedure reform, enhance the operating quality and efficiency of State agencies towards publicity and transparency to better serve people and businesses. In addition to settling administrative procedures online, the acceptance of administrative procedures and delivery of administrative settlement results through postal services are implemented by agencies and units. The single-window division in Dak To district basically ensures good reception of administrative procedures and delivers results.

The local telecommunication network has been further upgraded to expand network capacity and service coverage to serve and meet subscriber development needs, and enhance information quality and security. The IT technical infrastructure at State agencies has been gradually invested for IT application deployment.

IT application by local organizations and enterprises initially achieved certain results. Enterprises have focused investment on infrastructure and applied IT to administration and business development. Large-scale companies active in finance, banking, insurance, post and telecommunications paid high attention to IT applications to serve their production, business and management needs and achieved good results. The Department of Information and Communications has also actively carried out solutions and activities to support e-commerce development and make e-commerce a popular application in businesses and among consumers, while helping raise administrative performance of State agencies.

However, the ICT sector of Kon Tum province has also exposed to certain weaknesses, including scattered IT investment and heavy reliance on State budget for IT application, said Mr. A Doi, Director of the Kon Tum Department of Information and Communications. “To ensure sufficient capital sources for IT application and development, Kon Tum province needs to attract and mobilize capital from various sources. The province will adopt public–private partnership (PPP) investment form for projects applying and developing e-government, e-citizen, e-business and fee-charging service delivery. At the same time, Kon Tum will further entice IT investors into local industrial parks and create an open environment for investors to achieve the highest investment efficiency and contribute to local socioeconomic development,” he recommended.

Cong Luan