Ho Chi Minh City is set to invest heavily in digital infrastructure and the development of digital government, economy, and society in 2025 with the goal of leading Vietnam in its digital transformation.

The city plans to ensure that every citizen is digitally connected to the municipal government through mobile apps, where citizens previously needed to call the relevant authorities to report issues in their neighborhoods.

They are now able to do that from the digital citizen app on their phones, according to Thu Nga of Binh Thanh District.

“I no longer need to remember the phone numbers to call. I just open the app and send a message, like chatting with friends or family, to report issues directly to the city, which is convenient,” Nga said.

Nga added that many people in her neighborhood had also installed the digital citizen app and found it very easy to use. 

Hoai Ngoc, a resident of Phu Nhuan District, says they can look up information related to the city's current events and receive necessary alerts.

Ho Chi Minh City launched the digital citizen app in November 2024.

Since the event 'Let's Become a Digital Citizen of Ho Chi Minh City – Quick Connection between Citizens and the Administration' in early January 2024, the number of people downloading and installing the app has surged to 180,000.

The digital citizen app is a platform that connects citizens and the municipal government, helping residents report issues and check administrative procedures while assisting the city in gathering public opinions. 

In a recent meeting between Ho Chi Minh City leaders and members of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), Vo Van Hoan, chairman of the C4IR management board, stated that in 2025, the center would carry out nearly 20 activities to boost the city’s development, such as completing citywide 5G coverage, applying AI in air transport management and city governance, and building a green, sustainable industrial park.

Nguyen Duc Chung, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Transformation Center, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that in 2025, the center would propose the city bring new platforms and applications into operation with the intention of supporting leadership and governance.

In particular, the city will integrate AI and many data sources to help citizens efficiently utilize the digital citizen app as well as the city’s administrative procedure system and other applications.

The city will officially operate a platform supporting the management and operation of neighborhoods to provide a digital environment that further strengthens the connection between citizens and local authorities.

The city will continue to promote the development of digital infrastructure, including Internet, telecom, data, and physical-digital infrastructure, to meet the needs of the digital economy, digital society, and digital government development.

Chung added that Ho Chi Minh City would implement an integrated platform using AI for monitoring, managing, and operating data centers and shared systems in a stable, continuous, and secure manner.

Ho Chi Minh City ranked second nationwide in the digital transformation index in 2023 with many outstanding achievements, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

In particular, the southern metropolis took the lead in digital infrastructure development, with a modern telecom and broadband Internet system to meet the information exchange needs of citizens and enterprises.

In 2023, the city made comprehensive progress in all three pillars -- digital government, digital economy, and digital society.

Ho Chi Minh City has 1,054 online public services, and 669 are fully processed. 

The city’s digital economy ranked second nationwide in 2023, with strong programs supporting businesses in their digital transformation across wholesale and retail, e-commerce, logistics, and digital tourism.

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