Top Vietnamese leader urges efforts to link digital ID platform with Singapore, ASEAN

The directive was issued at a June 25 meeting of the Central Steering Committee on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, who chairs the steering committee, spotlighted three major paradoxes hindering the country’s digital transformation efforts.

These include limited funding for digital transformation with low disbursement rates, fragmented systems lacking interoperability, and strong political will but weak implementation.

The Party chief said that the main bottleneck is no longer awareness or funding but execution capacity and accountability, particularly among leaders.

He demanded relevant agencies tighten discipline, clarify responsibilities, and evaluate outcomes based on deliverables.

The steering committee outlined key tasks for the next 100 days, including resolving overdue assignments, clearing backlogged documents, and tackling identified obstacles.

By the end of this year, ministries and agencies must complete a nationwide review, clean and standardize data, and ensure connectivity across the political system.

They must accelerate efforts to create, standardize, and integrate specialized databases with the National Data Center.

The Party chief also called for continued digital identification of vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, rapid integration of VNeID with digital identity platforms of Singapore and other ASEAN countries, and expansion of domestic applications to better support citizens, businesses, and state administration.

Other priorities include strengthening digital infrastructure from the central to local levels, stabilizing the National Public Service Portal, and ensuring citizens and businesses are not asked to resubmit information already available in databases.

The Party leader also ordered safe, controlled, and effective development and use of artificial intelligence, alongside robust cybersecurity and protection of national data.

Ministries and agencies must adopt measures to prevent leaks, unauthorized sales, or exploitation of citizens’ and businesses’ information.