Information-communication sector sees leaping growth

The Ministry of Transport and Communication, the predecessor of the Ministry of Information and Communication, was among 13 ministries in the provisional revolution government led by President Ho Chi Minh which made debut on August 28, 1945. The day August 28 was then made the traditional day of the sector. 

According to Minister Truong Minh Tuan, the country now has 859 print newspapers and magazines, 126 electronic newspapers, 67 radio and television agencies and 32 providers of paid TV services, along with 63 publishing houses, 1,500 printing companies and over 13,000 distribution firms. Nearly 18,000 licensed journalists are operating in the country. 

The postal network now has 12,738 points of service across the country, while mobile phone service coverage reached 95% with more than 126 million subscribers. Telecoms companies reported combined revenues of nearly VND526 trillion in 2015, contributing VND48 trillion to the State coffer. 

The information technology industry counts more than 15,000 enterprises, earning more than US$32 billion from the export of phones and phone parts each year. 

Speaking on behalf of Party and State leaders, Politburo member and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hailed the information and communication sector as one of the industries at the forefront of the country’s Doi Moi (Renewal) cause, and an important driving force of modernization and industrialization. 

She said in the context of rapid development and international integration, the sector should continue to lead the development of the knowledge-based economy. 

The sector should be the companion of and a bridge connecting communities and society, while serving as an effective tool for the exercise of leadership and management of the Party and the State, the NA Chairwoman said.