On grasping and seriously adhering to the orientations of the Government, grasping the domestic and international situation, thoroughly understanding its functions and missions, the Ministry of Information and Communications has been active in building and perfecting legal documents, mechanisms, policies and strategies for the development of the information and communications sector, such as: Law on Press, Law on Access to Information, Law on Network Information Security,… ensuring that the legal system of the sector comes into life supporting every citizen to exercise their rights and duties in the right and full manner. In addition, the Sector has accelerated the renovation and restructuring of its businesses, been active in international integration and broadened cooperation with other countries. Thereby, the Sector has seen a robust development and become a spearhead economic branch with a significant contribution to the state budget and an information infrastructure for the industrialization and modernization cause of the country, particularly in the field of improving managerial capability, production, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and national information security and safety.
In recent years, the Ministry of Information and Communications has thoroughly carried out the defence and security training for its staff. Every year, the Ministry selects and sends its personnel to participate in defence and security courses. To date, 100 percent of the No1 personnel and over 80 percent of the No2, 3, 4 personnel have completed defence and security courses. 100 percent of them passed, of which over 70 percent got good results. Besides, the ministry has also carried out defence and security training for students of its affiliate schools, namely: the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, its College and its Cadre School.
Upholding the sector’s potentials and strengths (information technology, journalism, press, state management over public services, etc), the ministry has been proactive and active in disseminating the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines, laws and policies of the State, including knowledge on defence and security to the people of different strata through mass media. At present, Vietnam has 859 print newspapers, 126 electronic newspapers and magazines, 67 central and local radios and televisions with a total of 182 channels forming a widespread and in-depth network of information and communication covering all regions of the country. Besides, the ministry also coordinated with localities to hold over 30 galleries on the subject of “The Paracel and Spratly Islands belong to Vietnam”. Recently, it has fostered the implementation of the Program “Bringing information to mountainous, remote, border and island regions”, providing people in those places with access to post, telecommunication, Internet, IT, radio and television services, thereby improving their living condition and production while strengthening defense and security.
At present, there are 154.3 million telephone and over 27.6 million Internet subscriptions, serving well the social and economic development, defence and security, disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, etc.
To ensure the safety, accuracy, and classification of information, the ministry has directed its functioning agencies to build principles on the safety of information; coordinated with other ministries and localities to strengthen management over electronic information. It has directed its affiliate units to cope with the recent incident namely “technology fighter” which attacked information system of Vietnam Airlines and some other offices and timely conducted effective measures for prevention and control of information. Moreover, it also coordinated closely with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense and other functional agencies to deal with sources of distorted information against the Party and State on the Internet, contributing to ensuring defense and security, political stability, social safety and order; at the same time, ensuring the absolute safety for the leadership, direction and management of the Party and State in any situation.
Implementing the leadership and direction of the Secretariat, the CPV’s Central Education and Popularization Commission, The Ministry of Informations and Communications has coordinated closely with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Ministry of National Defence, The Ministry of Public Security, The CPV’s Commission for External Relations to launch the struggle against wrongful and hostile viewpoints in the fields of politics, ideology, culture; counter the “peaceful evolution” strategy of hostile forces and their excitement of “self evolution”, “self transformation” to protect Marxism – Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines and the country’s policies on races, religions, democracy, and human right, and safeguarding national sovereignty over seas and islands.
In general, defense and security work of the sector has always been paid due care and received direction from the Party Committee and leaders of the ministry and the direction and guidance from The Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff, etc hence achieving significant results. However, with the spirit of being frank, the ministry acknowledges that besides the achievements, there remain shortcomings in the work, particularly the incomplete awareness of the work, the ineffectiveness management and organization in some aspects, and the inadequate planning of mobilization of IT potential (human resource, facility) for national defence, etc. To enhance the quality and effectiveness of the work, particularly in management, direction, implementation in the coming time, the Ministry of Informations and Communications will focus on the following solutions:
First, continue to grasp and implement the Party’s guidelines and policies, the State’s law, focusing on studying, grasping and seriously implementing the Resolution of the Party’s 12th National Congress on matters relating to the Sector’s development strategy. Continue to participate in the direction process to build and finalize legal documents for professional management; propose solutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of state management over the information and communication.
Second, combining the education to enhance the awareness of Marxism – Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the traditions of the nation and of the Sector with the implementation of the Directive 05-CT/TW of the Politburo (XII tenure) on strengthening the studying and following Ho Chi Minh thought, moral and style in order to consolidate people’s belief in the Party, State and socialism. At the same time, fighting against and preventing signs of degradation in political ideology, moral, lifestyle of cadres, party members; and actively preventing and controlling “self evolution”, “self transformation”, defeating hostile’s plot of “peaceful evolution”.
Third, building development strategy of the Sector with the guidelines of: dynamism, creativeness, effectiveness and sustainability. Combining closely socio – economic development with the enhancement of defense and security; planning and implementing the task of potential mobilization of the Ministry and the Sector for the mission of Fatherland protection in the new situation.
Fourth, coordinating closely with the Ministry of National Defence and other related ministries and localities to build the all people’s defense; building grassroots offices and units comprehensively strong, making contribution to building the firm defensive areas at provincial level.
Fifth, seriously adhering to the State’s regulations on budget allowance for defence cause, people’s armed forces development, and the implementation of soldiers’ family policies and other policies relating to defence work, contributing to the successful realization of the two strategic missions of building and protecting the Fatherland.
Nguyen Minh Hong, PhD
Deputy Minister of the Information and Communications