Hanoi has made a remarkable leap in the 2023 Digital Transformation Index (DTI) ranking, jumping 18 places to sixth among Vietnam's 63 provinces and cities.  

After many years, Hanoi has returned to the top 10 leading provinces and cities in the Digital Transformation Index, rising 18 places (from 24th to 6th in the ranking). Compared to the 2021 DTI (announced in 2022), Hanoi has moved up 34 places, from 40th to 6th place.

Cu Ngoc Trang, Director of the Hanoi Public Administration Service Center, said this improvement can be attributed to the city's important role in leading the development of a synchronized digital transformation strategy focusing on digital government, digital economy and digital society.

A man in Hanoi signs up for a digital signature with the help of staff from a technology company.  Photos: VNA

"Hanoi has launched a number of initiatives to accelerate digital transformation, mindful that the application of technology is the key to growth," Trang said.

One of the key guidelines for the city's digitalization is Resolution No. 18 on digital transformation and smart city development to 2025, with a vision for 2030, which was issued in November 2022.

In recent years, Hanoi has launched important tools such as an information system to help managers at all levels monitor work progress in a real time; a document management system to help reduce paperwork and shorten administrative processing time; and an administrative procedure information system to make file processing more transparent.

"Hanoi is also one of the first localities to successfully connect to the National Population Database, which supports faster and more accurate processing of administrative procedures. In particular, the Police Department has introduced chip-embedded citizen ID cards and electronic identification accounts, helping people to easily use digital services," the director said.

He added that the city's departments and district People's Committees have also worked with technology companies to issue nearly 39,000 free digital signatures to Hanoi residents to facilitate transactions on digital platforms.

Nguyen Tien Sy, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications, added that they will continue to coordinate with the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) to guide the deployment of 5G mobile networks as they are the foundation for the development of the digital economy and digital society.

"We will propose to build more categories on iHanoi's Digital Capital Citizen application platform, such as Vietnam's digital technology products and digital transformation experience, to help spread the spirit of innovation and digital transformation to every citizen and the whole society," Sy said.

Hanoi's rise to 6th place in the DTI index is attributed to a digital transformation strategy that prioritizes infrastructure, online public services, the economy and the society. This approach not only enhances government management efficiency but also improves access to digital technology for citizens and businesses. It also serves as a foundation for Hanoi's continued efforts to become one of the nation's leading regions in digital transformation by 2025.

The MIC early this month released the 2023 DTI report, which assesses the digital progress of government agencies, ministries, and localities. The report highlights the country's steady digital progress, with Vietnam's overall DTI score rising nearly 51% since 2020.

The Ministry of Information and Communications releases its annual DTI report for 2023.

 This is the fourth consecutive year that MIC has conducted and published this assessment under the National Committee on Digital Transformation.

Compared to previous years, Vietnam's overall DTI score increased at a slower rate in 2023 because many indicators had already reached high levels.  The national DTI score stood at 0.7326, reflecting a 3% growth from 2022 and a 50.8% increase since 2020.

While all provinces and ministries showed positive growth, 84 out of 88 units evaluated scored above 0.5, indicating a strong nationwide commitment to digital transformation. For the fourth consecutive year, Da Nang was Vietnam's top-performing province in digital transformation, with a DTI score of 0.8340.

The government urged continued investment in technology infrastructure, human resource development, and digital public services to achieve sustainable digital transformation.