Transport sector’s working hard on digital transformation

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Ngọc Đông

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Ngọc Đông spoke to the Vietnam News Agency about the digital transformation process in the transport sector.

How do you evaluate the current digital transformation at the Ministry of Transport?

In recent years, the Ministry of Transport has promoted the application of information technology, building e-Government towards an online working environment instead of traditional work based on records, papers; providing online public services to facilitate and reduce costs for people and businesses.

The Ministry of Transport has promoted the building of specialised databases to manage operations based on digital data. Specifically, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam has been managing, issuing, extending driving licences, and managing road traffic infrastructure based on digital data.

Meanwhile, the Việt Nam Registry Department has digitised all vehicles to make vehicle registration faster and more convenient. The Việt Nam Maritime Administration shall apply information technology to the management of ships and boats entering and leaving seaports in Việt Nam.

The digital transformation in the Ministry of Transport differs from the information technology application carried out in the previous period in the point that we’re changing it fundamentally in management, not simple modernising the old management method. This is a long process and must be done on a regular basis.

In the digital transformation process, new models of transport management and business will arise without precedent and we may not have a legal policy system to adjust. Therefore, it is necessary to change the perception of the transport state management to adopt and accept new, pilot models and find ways to manage and promote development instead of discouraging such efforts.

What are the goals of the Digital Transformation Program set by the Ministry of Transportation?

Firstly, it is to raise profound awareness of digital transformation within the Ministry of Transport, making digital transformation an organic component in all management activities of the Ministry of Transport so that we can accompany the transportation business in all digital transformation activities.

For digital government development, the ministry’s goal is to build a database for all operations, use digital data for automation of decision-making and support decision-making. The ministry focuses on building systems to serve people and businesses in a way that facilitates and reduces costs and social resources.

As for the digital economic development goal, the program sets out the development of the digital economy through reforming management methods, applying digital technologies to facilitate transport businesses and reduce logistics costs.

We are aiming for the successful digital transformation of large enterprises operating in the transport sector to change the method of providing products and services from traditional to digital, while also creating digital platforms to connect multimodal transport services, and to build logistics supply chain owned by Vietnamese enterprises.

In order to accelerate the ministry’s digital transformation, what are the radical solutions?

The Digital Transformation Program of the Ministry of Transport is not an independent program, but is integrated with other tasks such as building an e-Government  or for building legal documents.

The program offers seven solutions, including: Cognitive transformation; institutional construction; developing digital infrastructure; digital data development; building a digital platform; ensure network safety, security and international cooperation, research and development and innovation in the digital environment.

For agencies and units under the Ministry of Transport, the implementation of awareness transformation is integrated into the programmes of conferences, seminars, regular training and awareness raising activities of the Ministry.

At the same time, we are coordinating with socio-economic organisations to develop an awareness raising program on digital transformation for businesses operating in the transport sector. Digital transformation has also been integrated into the annual program of building legal documents and the annual project development programme of the Ministry of Transport.

To implement this, the Ministry of Transport will complete the data infrastructure of the transport sector with regular, complete and accurate data sources.

A noteworthy point is that the Ministry of Transport aims to “eliminate” cash in the operation of the digital transport economy by applying and promoting electronic payment and inter-payment in transportation services.

How will people and businesses benefit from the digital transformation of the Ministry of Transport?

The first benefit is that people and businesses can quickly and accurately access information of the transport industry, anytime, anywhere. In addition, the provision of online public services at a high level helps people and businesses to perform administrative procedures more conveniently, easily, and save time and costs. At the same time, the receiving and handling of complaints and petitions of people is more promptly and more timely.

In addition, the use of digital data published by the Ministry of Transport in the form of open data helps people and businesses to apply in developing new business models and developing digital economy. — VNS