Hanoi (VNA) – More than a year after implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science-technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has established an integrated shared data ecosystem and accelerated the adoption of advanced digital technologies, laying the foundation for a fundamental transformation of state management and creating new momentum for one of Vietnam’s key economic sectors.
As digital transformation becomes a key growth driver, the construction sector has come under increasing pressure to modernise its management model to keep pace with the rapid expansion of transport infrastructure, urbanisation and the real estate market.
Previously, information relating to planning, geological surveys, design, construction and project operation was scattered across multiple agencies and databases, leading to duplication, inefficient use of data and slow inter-agency coordination.
Resolution No. 57 identifies science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as strategic pillars for improving national governance. For the construction sector, which oversees regional planning, public investment, transport infrastructure, urban development, housing and the property market, data has become a strategic resource supporting policymaking and administration.
At a recent working session with the ministry, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc said implementation of the resolution should be measured not by the number of completed tasks but by practical digital platforms, tangible products and benefits delivered to citizens and businesses.
According to the MoC, it has completed 171 of 287 assigned tasks under the resolution, equivalent to about 60%. It has also completed all 10 specialised databases and successfully connected its five core databases with those of relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Public Security, enabling data sharing for administrative procedures and gradual integration with the National Data Centre.
The ministry views digital data infrastructure as the cornerstone of administrative reform, with technology delivering value through faster processing, lower compliance costs and greater transparency.
It now provides online public services for 246 administrative procedures, covering nearly 99% of eligible services. Through data integration, documentation requirements for 58 administrative procedures have been significantly reduced, eliminating the need for citizens to repeatedly declare information already available in the shared system.
Following a review of 454 administrative procedures, the MoC has proposed abolishing 56, simplifying 91 and decentralising 10 major procedures to local authorities. The reforms are expected to save businesses about 2.9 trillion VND (110.3 million USD) in compliance costs, or 23%, while reducing processing time by more than 18%.
The ministry said the reforms represent a shift from merely digitalising existing workflows to redesigning administrative processes by removing unnecessary intermediary steps and moving from pre-approval management to post-inspection oversight.
Tran Phuc Minh Quang, Deputy General Director of Portcoast Consultant Corporation, said the sector has significant opportunities to accelerate digital transformation following the Prime Minister’s approval of strategic technology development tasks for high-speed and urban railway projects. He described the projects as “living laboratories” where Building Information Modeling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Digital Twin technologies can be applied throughout the lifecycle of infrastructure projects, from design and construction to operation.
He added that the sector's next priority is not simply to develop more software, but to focus on cleaning existing data, strengthening the legal framework for data governance and sharing, standardising technical regulations nationwide, and enhancing responsibility of subordinate agencies for updating and maintaining databases.
The construction sector has now moved beyond building digital infrastructure to generating practical value from data, with success increasingly measured by lower social costs, more efficient public administration and greater transparency./.
