Leading telecoms urged to develop IT

The Hanoi Times - Two leading telecommunication, VNPT and Viettel, should devise development strategies to make the country become a powerful country in IT, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said.Speaking at meeting between the Cabinet Office and representatives from Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Military Telecom Corporation (Viettel) March 13, the PM asked VNPT and Viettel to concentrate o­n specific strategies.The most important needs are to create clearer goals and strategies, as well as building human resources and organizing suitable management systems.The government will consider and solve propositions and petitions from Viettel and VNPT so that they can successfully carry out their strategies.VNPT and Viettel should give more independence to their subsidiaries in order to help them operate more effectively and efficiently.For investment, the two companies should find suitable methods to invite bids and chose contractors in order to hasten investment progress of telecom projects.The PM emphasized that the two companies should deploy telecom services and build infrastructure for e-government more quickly.They also should enhance quality of services, technology and investment.The Cabinet Office and the PM recognized that two companies have overcome many difficulties to gain strong positions in the market. Viettel and VNPT have contributed to economic and social development, especially in building infrastructure.In other news, the same day, the Cabinet Office met with the Vietnam Rubber Group.At the meeting, the PM said that the group must be the core and main force in the development of the rubber industry.PM Dung said that rubber industry is an advantage for Vietnam because rubber trees are suitable for the climate and soil of the country. Growing rubber trees brings high productivity that has contributed in eliminating hunger, reducing poverty and positively serving the progress of rural and agricultural industrialization.The PM directed the group to start transferring rubber companies to limited liability companies, the first step in privatization. When the economic climate is favorable they will be fully privatized.The group was urged to establish specific projects in using support funds to invest in replanting rubber projects in the Central Highlands and the northeast.The government will grant capital to invest in electricity, street, schools and medical clinics to support rubber development and ensure the life of ethnic people in those regions.The PM suggested the group coordinate to conduct agreements between Vietnam Laos and Cambodia for a program to grow 100,000 hectares of rubber.