Hanoi to lead the way on e-commerce
HANOI - By the end of 2005 a majority of Vietnamese businesses and
all government offices will be involved in e-commerce, according to a
recent Trade Ministry seminar.
Vietnamese enterprises have been urged to consider how to deploy the
power of e-commerce in their own operations, as the Internet will be a
crucial competitive advantage during Vietnam's economic integration
process. The seminar, which drew participants from a range of ministries
based in the northern region, evaluated the significance and outcomes of
the national project on e-commerce technology.
According to Trade Ministry reports, the feasibility study has been
completed and the project is being submitted to the government for
approval. The project has been divided into 14 sub-projects and
assigned to 24 state bodies for direct implementation, of which 20 are at
the ministry level.
The project's initial goal is to review e-commerce, identify the advantages
it offers, build infrastructure and remove hindrances to its implementation.
A five-year implementation plan will also be devised, and the research
involved will help the government make decisions on the specific
measures needed to apply e-commerce in Vietnam.
The government will begin by establishing a national e-commerce
management agency to coordinate relevant ministries and other
government bodies in carrying out the proposed master plan. For
instance, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications
(GDPT) will be responsible for infrastructure and the reduction of
Internet fees, while the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Justice and the
State Bank of Vietnam will oversee the establishment of an electronic
payments system to facilitate the development of the e-commerce
industry.
Asia Times - November 13, 2001.
|