This year Vietnam will build its own social network to gradually replace foreign social networks like Yahoo and Google, stated Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop at a meeting in HCM City on January 9.

In the meeting with agencies under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) in HCM City, the Minister listened to reports on the situation of the information and communication sector.

He cited ten important tasks for 2010, including boosting and developing information technology and IT infrastructure as well as developing a local social network to replace foreign ones.

According to Hop, despite many challenges, the sector developed strongly and obtained many achievements in 2009 and “The ministry completed its plans to turn Vietnam into a strong country of information and communications.”

He admitted that decentralization in ministry management for 2009 was incomplete, resulting in ineffective management of publications and the press. MoIC will set up a publication assistance fund, establish some new agencies, drastically decentralize management to curb unnecessary procedures and improve the responsibility and management effectiveness of its agencies.

The Minister said that this year MoIC will restructure television and broadcasting stations speed up the development of the information and communication sector from now to 2020.