Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – A campaign on digital literacy for all, launched to implement Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, is being rolled out vigorously in Long Son commune of Ho Chi Minh City.
Guided by the grassroots approach of “going down every alley, knocking on every door and checking every floating fish farm”, the initiative is bringing digital technology closer to residents and injecting fresh momentum into the island community surrounded by water.
Once almost cut off from the mainland by a dense network of rivers, bays and mangrove forests, Long Son is now gradually erasing those boundaries through technology.
Bringing technology to every floating fish farm
In recent years, Long Son has emerged as a convergence point for new development drivers in the southern economic hub, home to the more-than-5-billion-USD Long Son petrochemical complex, supporting factories and an international port. Yet behind its rapidly developing industrial landscape lies an island commune whose geographical conditions kept residents largely isolated from the urban centre for many years. Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, issued on December 22, 2024, on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, has provided fresh impetus, with the commune's Party Committee and authorities moving swiftly to translate it into concrete action. With residents scattered across aquaculture ponds and floating fish farms along the rivers, the commune has adopted a hands-on approach rather than relying on centralised training sessions to promote digital literacy. Digital technology teams, working with village officials, go directly to people's homes and floating farms to help them install and use online public services and digital platforms. They patiently guide residents through each step on their mobile phones until they can use the services confidently.
Bui Thi Thu Huong, Vice Chairwoman of the Long Son commune People's Committee, said that digital transformation would struggle to become part of everyday life if infrastructure was developed and advanced technologies introduced without enabling people to use them effectively. The locality therefore considers it essential to demonstrate the practical benefits of technology in people's daily lives and livelihoods, making digital transformation more accessible and effective.
Tran Van Tin, a village head in Long Son, said the biggest initial obstacle was people's reluctance to change and their fear that technology would be complicated. However, once they received hands-on guidance and saw the convenience of services such as online administrative procedures, information searches and cashless payments, residents became more proactive in learning and sharing their knowledge with one another.
Alongside digital literacy programmes, Long Son is accelerating the development of its telecommunications infrastructure. The commune now has 60 base transceiver stations, 11 more than before July 1, 2025, extending coverage to remote floating fish farms and enabling residents to access high-speed digital services. A number of delivery companies supporting online sales have also set foot in the commune.
Digitalisation is also changing the way the grassroots administration operates. All commune officials and civil servants now use electronic document-management software with digital signatures, while administrative documents are processed entirely online. During the first six months of 2026, the commune's public administration service centre received nearly 4,000 applications and processed all of them on time, helping residents save time and travel costs.
Taking local brands into the digital space
As a locality with strong potential in aquaculture, Long Son has identified the sector as a priority in its digital transformation. The authorities are encouraging aquaculture households to adopt technology in managing farming areas, tracing product origins and connecting with markets, gradually moving away from production methods based largely on traditional experience.
At many floating farms along the Cha Va river, residents are becoming familiar with water-quality monitoring equipment and product traceability technology. A notable example is Long Son oysters, a local speciality now equipped with QR codes. With a simple scan, customers can check the entire farming process, product origin and production facility. The initiative is helping build a more professional, transparent and sustainable local brand. Ly Phuong Truc, manager of the Nam Thang oyster and fish farm, part of the local Duc Thinh aquaculture services cooperative, said that in the past the cooperative raised oysters largely by relying on established habits. Once harvested, the oysters were sold to traders, leaving prices highly volatile. Since receiving guidance on registering a trademark, using QR codes and promoting products online, the products have reached a much wider customer base, with selling prices rising significantly and outlets becoming more stable.
Alongside brand development, Long Son is encouraging and supporting residents in putting agricultural and aquatic products on e-commerce platforms to expand their market reach. Cashless payments have also been introduced at numerous businesses, floating restaurants and historical sites, helping establish digital transaction habits within the community while making it more convenient for visitors.
According to Long Son authorities, the commune will continue to develop its 5G infrastructure, apply geographic information systems (GIS) to manage aquaculture areas, digitise its cultural heritage using virtual reality technology and develop digital maps to support tourism, with the aim of building a comprehensive digital government, digital economy and digital society.
Effective digital transformation is particularly significant as Long Son stands to benefit from its strategic location. On one side is the bustling Cai Mep–Thi Vai deep-water port cluster and established large-scale industrial parks, while the Cai Mep Ha free trade zone is being shaped. On the other is a chain of renowned coastal tourism hubs stretching from Vung Tau to Ho Tram. More recently, Long Son was selected as the site for a national data centre, further underscoring the locality's important position in the digital infrastructure structure of the region and the country.
From QR codes tracing the origins of seafood and administrative procedures conducted online to cashless payments at businesses and floating fish farms, technology is steadily finding its way into every aspect of life in the island commune. Long Son is increasingly joining Ho Chi Minh City's wider development landscape of industry, the marine economy and innovation.
Through persistent, hands-on efforts and a determination to “leave no one behind”, the authorities are working to ensure that every resident has the opportunity to access and benefit from digital transformation under Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW./.
VNA
