Also attending were Deputy Prime Ministers, Deputy Heads of the Steering Committee Ho Duc Phoc and Bui Thanh Son; representatives of leaders of ministries, departments, branches, and central agencies. The meeting was broadcast live to the headquarters of ministries, departments, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The meeting announced Decision No. 598/QD-TTg dated March 13, 2025 of the Prime Minister on the establishment of the Government Steering Committee on science, technology development, innovation, digital transformation and Project 06.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Science and Technology reported on the results of implementing tasks on science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation in Resolution No. 57/NQ-TW of the Politburo dated December 22, 2024 and Resolution No. 03/NQ-CP of the Government dated January 9, 2025 on the Government's action program to implement Resolution No. 57/NQ-TW, and Notice No. 56/TB-VPCP dated February 23, 2025; proposed key tasks that need to be implemented immediately, including a paperless government, signing and transacting in the digital environment.

The Ministry of Public Security reports on the results of the implementation of assigned tasks on Project 06; the progress of the implementation of the National Data Center and the plan for the implementation and integration of data from national databases and specialized databases into the National Data Center.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Ministry of Home Affairs reports on the results of implementing assigned tasks on administrative reform in the Government's Programs, Resolutions and Notice No. 25/TB-VPCP dated January 24, 2025.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the Steering Committee's work is essentially a continuation of the work that has been done over the past many years; emphasizing that the Politburo issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, establishing the Central Steering Committee with General Secretary To Lam as Head of the Committee, and Party and State leaders as Deputy Heads, demonstrating the importance of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation in the upcoming development period.

The Prime Minister stated that national development needs to be more breakthrough, stronger, more determined, and more drastic in action; policies and guidelines must be close to the current situation and general development of the country and the world to mobilize the combined strength of society and people; combine the strength of the nation with the strength of the times.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the first meeting of the Steering Committee. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Prime Minister stated that the world situation is changing very quickly, unpredictably, and hard to predict; there are many difficulties and challenges, but there are also opportunities and advantages. The problem is that we must know how to take advantage of them in the current context; must grasp the developments of the situation, be clever, intelligent, flexible, effective, and have appropriate, timely, flexible, and effective policy responses; the wise leadership of the Party, the management and unity of the State, especially the participation of the people and businesses.

We have determined that growth by 2025 must reach at least 8% or more and double-digit growth in the coming years, because if we only develop "averagely" as in the past years, it will be difficult to achieve the two 100-year development goals (2030 and 2045). The set target is very high, "if it is not high, it is not possible", if it is not high, people's lives will fall behind, and their material and spiritual lives will not be improved. Therefore, one of our Party's choices is to develop science and technology, innovation is one of the fundamental, fast and sustainable solutions.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders co-chaired the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Immediately after organizing the implementation of Resolution 57 nationwide, the Government issued Resolution 03/NQ-CP on the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution 57-NQ/TW; this is also one of the driving forces for growth.

Although Resolution 57 has not been issued for long, the Politburo has established inspection teams to go to localities to urge, guide, and remove difficulties and obstacles to implement the Resolution; including implementing related solutions to promote growth; along with implementing organizational innovation in the spirit of Resolution 18-NQ/TW of the Central Committee.

The content of ensuring 8% growth this year and double digits in the coming years is also included in the inspection program. The problem is how do we thoroughly grasp and grasp it? How do ministries, branches and localities implement it to see the importance of the issue, the close direction of the Politburo and the need to transform from ideology to action. Ministries, branches, localities, businesses and people must organize implementation; the whole country and economic sectors must move to be effective.

Leaders and delegates attending the meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Government is the executive body, the highest administrative body, and has a Steering Committee on administrative reform focusing on administrative procedures; the National Committee on Digital Transformation, the Working Group on Project 06 (chaired by the Ministry of Public Security)... Now it is necessary to raise the level and improve the quality and efficiency, so the Government decided to establish these committees into a common Steering Committee.

The Prime Minister requested that ministries, branches and localities also establish a Steering Committee to implement this program, which is important in many aspects to meet the development requirements of the country, each ministry, branch and locality. The Politburo has directed very strongly to turn it into a specific project and product, then that is the success of the Resolution.

The Prime Minister emphasized that we have to do a lot of things in the current context, “we cannot not do it”. Ministries, sectors and localities must move for the whole country to move, turning Resolution 57 into concrete products, material wealth, prosperity and happiness for all people.

The Prime Minister frankly acknowledged that the development of science and technology in our country is still slow compared to other countries in the region. Therefore, this meeting will review the work done in the past time, what has been done, what has not been done, the reasons why, what lessons can be drawn from the implementation of Resolution 57, and what needs to be done in the coming time? The members of this Steering Committee are all top leaders of ministries and branches.

Scene of the first meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Regarding the upcoming work, the Prime Minister requested to actively remove institutional barriers. Recently, the Prime Minister assigned the task of removing institutional barriers. Therefore, the Minister of Science and Technology, ministries, branches and localities are required to review the obstacles and collect them in March to send to the Government Office.

The Government has agreed with the National Assembly to use one law to amend many laws to remove institutional obstacles related to the fields of science, technology, and innovation.

According to the Prime Minister, institutions are "the bottleneck of bottlenecks" but also "the breakthrough of breakthroughs", and are the easiest to do. Institutions are up to us, "openness is up to us, strictness is up to us", we ourselves must overcome our own limits in thinking, methodology, way of doing and organization of implementation. If we do well, we will turn this bottleneck into an advantage, because institutions are both a resource and a driving force.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the functions of the Minister must be performed by the Minister, and the functions of the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities must be performed by the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities. We must innovate and quickly resolve institutional issues; "A jungle of procedures cannot do it."

Regarding infrastructure, ministries and branches must review the infrastructure of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06. What projects need to be invested in? The Government will prioritize investment funds for this infrastructure, but to invest, there must be specific projects, along with fighting negativity, loss, and waste. There must be abundant human resources to meet new developments, meeting the requirements of scientific and technological development in the current situation. Along with that is administrative reform, focusing on administrative procedure reform.

The meeting was broadcast live to the headquarters of ministries, branches and localities across the country. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Prime Minister requested that ministries, branches and localities, when developing and amending and supplementing laws, must answer the following questions: If new legal policies are developed, what are the points of the Party's policies and guidelines, and why? What are the bottlenecks and obstacles of the system that need to be removed, and why? Have administrative procedures been reduced? Have they been decentralized and delegated to the maximum, along with resource allocation, improved enforcement capacity, and strengthened supervision and inspection using legal tools? Review whether it is really open, how feasible, and other requirements?

The Prime Minister emphasized that the addition and amendment of laws and legal documents must answer 6 questions: Have unreasonable points been removed, why? What contents have been inherited and improved? What contents have been added, why? Have administrative procedures been cut by at least 30%, have compliance costs been reduced by at least 30%, and can they be measured? How is decentralization and delegation of power, from where to where, from the National Assembly to the Government, from the Government to the Prime Minister, from the Prime Minister to the Ministers, Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities? What issues are currently still pending, are there any further proposals?

The Prime Minister requested clarity about the institutions because the current institutional quality is still low because it is unclear, it is unclear what requirements the amendment must meet. The organization and implementation must be clear: "clear people, clear work, clear responsibility, clear progress, clear products". Upholding the spirit of responsibility "3 yes, 2 no": Beneficial for the country, Beneficial for businesses, Beneficial for people and businesses; No negativity, corruption; No loss of State and people's assets. Implement the spirit of "Harmonious benefits, shared risks". Regarding infrastructure, ministries and branches must clearly point out what is lacking and what is weak. If Vietnam wants to have artificial intelligence (AI), it must have a Vietnamese database.

The Prime Minister requested that we actively train and improve the quality of human resources. We must keep up, progress together and surpass each other to achieve double-digit growth and improve the material and spiritual life of the people. If we cut down on administrative procedures, the people will enjoy the fruits of this achievement. We must change the state from handling administrative work to serving the people and businesses; we must strengthen the grassroots level. The measures must be comprehensive, aiming at the highest goal of the country developing strongly, prosperously, maintaining independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and the people enjoying the fruits of the revolution are increasingly enjoying prosperity and happiness.

The Prime Minister hopes that after this meeting, new developments will be created in related fields. Press agencies must strengthen their communication work to create momentum and inspiration for this work.

After listening to the presentations and concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to strongly shift from awareness to action, bringing benefits to the country and people; requiring leaders of ministries, branches and localities to thoroughly grasp the Resolution of the Politburo and the Government, have specific plans and programs for effective implementation, and avoid formalism, and cannot be "hot above, cold below"; the spirit is "words must match actions, words can be said, actions can be done".

On behalf of the Government leaders, the Prime Minister commended the efforts, attempts and achievements of ministries, branches and localities; the drastic direction of the members of the Government Steering Committee; the important contributions of the People's Public Security force, the People's Army, the consensus, support and active participation of the people and businesses.

The Prime Minister also requested ministries, branches and localities to allocate resources, human resources, and have appropriate policies for this work; in addition to fiber optic cables and 5G systems, there must be satellite systems; move forward and quickly exploit space, sea space and underground space. The Prime Minister emphasized the spirit of "3 yes, 2 no": Beneficial for the country, Beneficial for businesses, Beneficial for people and businesses; No negativity, corruption; No loss of State and people's assets.

Regarding the viewpoint, the Prime Minister clearly stated that it is necessary to innovate and perfect the administrative apparatus, promote science and technology, and closely link innovation, one promotes the other; take innovation, digital transformation, and take people and businesses as the center and subject in the implementation process. Reforming the administrative apparatus, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation is an objective requirement, a strategic choice, a top priority, "it cannot be done". "The Party has directed, the Government has agreed, the National Assembly agrees, the people support, the Fatherland expects, then only discuss and do, not retreat", do each task properly, with focus, key points, not spread out, not half-hearted. Change the state from being passive, receiving, and resolving administrative procedures to being proactive, actively serving the people. Reward and discipline are timely, timely, and effective. The Prime Minister emphasized that we are promoting national digitalization; Cut and simplify administrative procedures without limits; develop comprehensive digital citizens, with the spirit of "streamlined apparatus, connected data, smart governance".

Regarding the immediate and long-term key tasks, the Prime Minister emphasized perfecting the institution with the spirit of open institutions, first amending a series of laws with the view of using one law to amend many laws. Developing seamless infrastructure, promoting the development of 5G, fiber optic cables, satellites; developing databases, all levels and sectors must build databases. All levels, sectors, localities, educational and training institutions must develop plans to train human resources to meet requirements.

Regarding specific tasks, the Prime Minister must handle administrative procedures, administrative procedures resolutely as quickly as possible in the online environment, meeting various requirements and tasks. Promoting non-cash payments needs to be done better; the banking sector must proactively have a roadmap to implement this as soon as possible. Promoting electronic tax collection, electronic invoices generated from cash registers for food and retail services; the Ministry of Finance must resolutely implement this within 6 months; food and retail establishments must be equipped with this machine, otherwise they will not be allowed to do business, and inspections must be increased. The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc and the Minister of Finance to resolutely direct this; assigned the Ministry of Public Security to study and implement the opening of a digital data trading floor.

Regarding the implementation of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, building and submitting for promulgation the National Program for the development of technology and strategic industry, including the project to develop a system of research and testing centers, key national laboratories, focusing on strategic technology. Building a project to form large-scale domestic strategic technology enterprises to develop digital infrastructure, digital human resources, digital data, strategic technology, and cybersecurity; building and submitting to the Prime Minister the establishment of a Strategic Industrial Development Investment Fund; building a Program for the development of Digital Government and implementing a paperless Government and implementing direction and administration in an electronic environment based on data. Determined to put the National Data Center into operation in 2025.

Continue to promote the provision, improve the quality and efficiency of online public services, associated with the arrangement of administrative units, avoid congestion, especially ensuring that citizen-related services are smooth. Promote the reduction and elimination of administrative procedures; change the state from passive to proactive in providing public services to people and businesses. In the second quarter of 2025, 100% of airports, ports, and border gates will apply biometric technology and the VNeID platform.

Regarding the promotion of Project 06, the Prime Minister requested to closely follow Directive No. 07/CT-TTg, develop an implementation plan, have specific solutions, detailed roadmap, ensure "clear people, clear work, clear time, clear responsibilities, clear results", attach responsibility to each specific agency and individual. Ministries and branches implement the reduction of dossier components for 324 administrative procedures with paper information that have been integrated into electronic identification accounts; to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.

Localities urgently complete digitization of civil status data and land data; reduce and simplify 200 administrative procedures under their authority (10 localities: Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa have exploited land data in handling residence registration procedures).