Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said information technology needed to further develop to help the country maintain a high growth rate in order to catch up with other developed countries in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said information technology needed to further develop to help the country maintain a high growth rate in order to catch up with other developed countries in the region.

He made the remark while attending the fourth summit of the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association on April 24 in Hanoi.

While praising the achievements and contributions made by the Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) to the development of the IT industry, Dam also called on the association to continue its good work in providing consultancy to the Government.

He also asked VINASA to pay attention to start-up entrepreneurs and work closely with colleges and universities to address the problem of human resources shortages.

In the past five years, the country’s IT industry also suffered from the economic downturn, yet still managed to maintain its growth rate at 10-15 percent each year. The revenue from the software sector increased from 1 billion USD to 1.6 billion USD in 2015. The revenue of the IT industry in general increased from 2 billion USD to 3 billion USD in 2015.

Human resources within the industry has also grown steadily, reaching about 200,000 people at present.

Speaking at the summit, Chairman of VINASA Truong Gia Binh said that going forward, VINASA aims to become a pioneer in connecting industries and regions, and applying and developing technologies and start-ups. The association will try to support small- and medium-sized firms in their development, while big firms can become global ones, thus contributing to the country’s development, Binh said.