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Hanoi people use I-parking service. |
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In addition to its advantages and potential, Hanoi faces numerous challenges during the implementation of its goal.
Fundamental breakthroughs from information and technology (IT)
According to Chairman of Hanoi municipal People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, the building of a smart city will bring convenience, safety and friendliness for all people based on technological application, gradually improving people’s lives and stimulating the capital’s growth and socio-economic development.
Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communication, Nguyen Ngoc Ky, said that the process of building a smart city will be divided into three phases. From now until 2020, Hanoi will build the core components of a smart city, including the infrastructure platform, core database, e-government, and smart systems in essential areas (education, healthcare, transport, tourism, social safety and the environment). During the second phase (2020-2025), smart systems will almost be complete, attracting people to participate, and the digital economy should be formed. From 2025, the smart city will be developed at a high level with the features of the knowledge-based economy.
Implementing the above roadmap, over the past two years, Hanoi has made a fundamental breakthrough in information and technology, ensuring the overall and synchronous application of IT. So far, the city has synchronously launched an online public service portal in 20 districts and 584 communes, wards and towns. The portal has provided public services for level 3 in many of the fields of natural resources – the environment, construction, education - training, and information – communication.
Certain public services witnessed high rates of online transactions, including the justice (over 90%), business registration (98%), and tax (97%). The city strives to increase online public services to over 80% by the end of 2018.
A population database for more than 7.5 million people has been completed. The agencies concerned are building the database for 3.7 million plots of land, the people’s health and enterprises, as well as accelerating the connection and sharing of information to improve operational efficiency in all fields.
Currently, Hanoi gives priority to building smart systems in several ‘hot’ areas such as transport, tourism, healthcare and the environment. The city municipal Transport Department is perfecting a ‘Smart Transport’ project, focusing on the digitalisation of traffic infrastructure and means of transport, as well as developing software and applications for the management and handling of traffic violations. On October 10, an e-ticket system for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was officially launched, creating favourable condition for passengers.
Regarding tourism, the Department of Tourism is urgently building the Hanoi Tourism Portal as well as launching digital maps and applications for searching for information, and booking tours, hotels and restaurants on mobile devices.
Putting people in the central position
At the Smart City Summit held in September in Hanoi, the delegates said that Hanoi was fully qualified to become a smart city, however, the goal of sustainable development in human resources and the environment should be addressed.
In fact, the interaction between people and online public services remains limited. For example, many administrative procedures, such as birth and death registration and verification of celibacy, can be performed online, however, a number of people have fallen into the habit of going directly to the administrative offices.
According to Chairman Chung, Hanoi pays special attention to developing human resources in the field of technology, as well as encouraging the research of smart applications and solutions in all areas of social life. The city plans to submit a project on launching classes on 3D technology and artificial intelligence to the Government.
In order to successfully build a smart city, in addition to the efforts made by the government, the participation of businesses and the community is crucial. The city has focused on attracting investment resources from the society and enhancing the international cooperation on technological transfers, experience and knowledge through the signing of memoranda with both domestic and foreign corporations. Hanoi has signed memoranda of understanding on the building of e-governments and smart cities with several corporations and enterprises, including Microsoft Vietnam, Viettel, VNPT, FPT and Nhat Cuong Trading & Services Limited Company. The city also invited partners from the US to participate in the consultancy for the construction of a centralised management supervision centre and build IT applications in urban management, construction planning and land based on a digital map.
During the process of building a smart city, putting people in the central position is the consistent view of the capital government. A smart city not only helps people and enterprises to save their time and costs but also ensures transparency and restricts the harassment of the public administration.
With a clear roadmap and careful steps, Hanoi strives to be a leading locality in the county in becoming a smart city and stand in the network of smart cities in the region and around world in the near future.
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