“The goal of the project is to
resolve the city’s existing problems such as rapid population growth,
unsustainable economic growth, obstacles to making and managing master plans
and poor healthcare, education and transport services and environment and
public administration,” Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the city People’s
Committee and head of the smart city management board said.
The project aims at sustainable
economic growth and moving towards a digital and knowledge-based economy,
efficient urban management based on development forecasts and increasing the
quality of the living and working environment and improving oversight by the
public.
Ho Chi Minh City to be turned into a smart city in 2017-2020. Photo: vietnamnet.vn
“The smart city aims to create a
comfortable, positive, healthy and safe living environment with convenient
public transportation, good healthcare, less crime and clean water and
environment,” Tuyen said.
To build a smart city requires
setting up a shared database and open database eco-system, according to Tuyen.
To operate a mega city like Ho Chi Minh City,
information must be sourced from various sources to create and execute
strategies.
“This is an imperative to
successfully deploy the smart city’s operation center, which will exploit all
information and data to enable the authorities to achieve comprehensive
management.”
A simulation center to forecast
socio-economic strategy should be set up along with an information security center, he said.
The smart city will focus on four
areas: local government, public, enterprises, and social organizations.
For the local government, the smart
city will precisely meet development forecast needs and through building e-governance,
information and data will be connected and shared to enhance the government’s
operational and management efficiency.
Enterprises will have a transparent,
simple and convenient environment and be provided with more information to make
better business decisions.
The smart city will enable
dissemination of information allowing service providers to efficiently meet
demand.
The public will be provided all
information needed to make the best decisions. Interaction between the public
and local government will become easier and the public can oversee, manage and
contribute ideas for building the city.
People can enjoy benefits such as
low-priced electricity, convenient public transport, good healthcare, quality
education, clean water and environment, low crime and excellent entertainment.
Workers will have everything they
need to ensure they can compete in the international market such as broadband
internet; low-cost green energy; opportunities to foster their education,
knowledge and skills; and reasonably-priced living and working space.
The smart city will help local
governments efficiently use natural resources, improve services quality for the
public.
The project will be implemented by
the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation after being piloted in
districts 1 and 12 and the Thu Thiem Urban Area in district 2.
Source: VNA