"Vietnam considers ICT a key industry and one of the most important driving forces for economic development," said Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hong. Provinces and cities should prioritise the use of local budgets and other resources to promote major ICT projects. The implementation of favourable policies to facilitate investment in ICT is indispensable, the Ministry said in a statement.
Frank Donovan, director of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam, said that USAID would further strengthen the capacity of the Viet Nam public utility telecommunications service fund to enhance ICT connections and rural area access to services. USAID is a government agency providing economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
The sector has been implementing ICT strategy for over 20 years and has achieved an annual growth rate of over 20 per cent. The total revenue of the ICT sector in 2010 reached US$15 billion, achieving an annual growth rate of 25 per cent. By the end of February this year, the number of Internet users in Vietnam reached 28 million people, accounting for 32 per cent of the population.
Source: futuregov
