Forty-seven outstanding individuals and organisations from the Information and Technology (IT) sector were presented with Sao Khue Awards on the evening of April 21 in Hanoi.

Initiated by the Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) in 2003, the Sao Khue Awards are designed to honour organisations and individuals that make a great contribution to the development of the IT and software industries in Vietnam .

This year, the only individual to win an award was Vu Duc Dam, Chairman of Quang Ninh’s provincial Party Committee and also the Secretary of the provincial party committee.

Over the past few years, no matter in what position, Dam has participated in policy making and helped greatly to develop Vietnam’s IT and software industries.

The three awards for software and IT applications went to the Vietnam Industrial and Commercial Bank (VietinBank), the Lien Viet Bank and the Information Centre from the National Administration of Exercise and Sports.

The Saigon Securities Inc. was honoured as best enterprise at using legal software.

Starting this year, the VINASA will put forward software products that have been nominated for a Sao Khue award to the Asia -Pacific Information and Communications Technology Awards (APICTA)./.