Illustrative image (VSS)

After researching criteria and implementation roadmaps, based on existing resources, the Prime Minister has approved the "National Digital Transformation Program by 2025, with a vision to 2030" and the "E-Government Development Strategy, towards a Digital Government for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030." These strategies set practical and citizen-oriented objectives for building an e-government and digital government: citizens, businesses, and other organizations can easily and quickly use online public services and administrative procedures without paperwork or physical presence unless required by law. Additionally, they aim to facilitate citizen and business participation in providing feedback to government agencies, reflecting social issues to the state institutions, and receiving responses.

To achieve these strategic objectives, one prerequisite is the successful construction of a highly interconnected core database on population. The National Database on Population plays the most important role, serving as the fundamental and "heart" of the digital government, connecting and sharing population information with other specialized databases.

This enhances the ability to exploit and update population information, minimizes data duplication, reduces investment costs from the state budget, and addresses the current limitations in managing individual population information in a fragmented manner.

To ensure institutional coherence, strict adherence to the law, and the implementation of citizens' rights and obligations, the Ministry of Public Security actively conducted research and proposed the Residence Law to the Prime Minister for submission to the National Assembly, effective from July 1, 2021. The Residence Law stipulates that citizen management is based on information in the Population Database, and the official administrative system will eliminate household registration books and temporary residence permits by the end of 2022. These are critical milestones that require the Population Database system to meet the necessary conditions for operation.

In January 2022, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 06/QD-TTg on January 6, 2022, approving the "Project on Developing Data Applications on Population, Identification, and Electronic Authentication to Serve National Digital Transformation in the 2022-2025 Period, with a Vision to 2030" (referred to as Project 06). Immediately after the launch of Project 06, the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) was one of the leading units in implementing tasks that left a clear mark.

Illustrative image (VSS)

Firstly, from the beginning of implementing the Population Database project, the VSS has recognized and regarded the Population Database as the foundation for referencing other databases. Accordingly, the VSS took the lead in collaborating with the Ministry of Public Security to connect and share information related to social, health, and unemployment insurance with the national Population Database, contributing to enriching this data source.

Secondly, the VSS implemented biometric authentication technology based on the biometric information integrated on the chip-embedded Citizen Identity Card and the data from the national Population Database. This measure aims to limit and prevent fraudulent activities in the process of participating in and benefiting from social, health, and unemployment insurance schemes.

Thirdly, leveraging the advantages of the IT system and existing data sources, the VSS proactively and promptly implemented policies to support employees and self-employed individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, following the Government's Resolution.

Fourthly, in addition to fulfilling assigned tasks, based on a secure and safe IT system and database, the VSS supported the Ministry of Health in implementing the Electronic Health Record for each citizen. By receiving health insurance and medical service data through the data reception gateway, the VSS also shared and facilitated the provision of this information to the VneID application.

Furthermore, the VSS maximized its resources and databases to successfully deploy various online public services, bringing many benefits to participants and beneficiaries of social insurance and health insurance policies.

With the achieved results, it can be affirmed that the VSS has taken the right steps and met the requirements set forth in Project 06.

It is hoped that the VSS will continue to coordinate and integrate the insurance database with other specialized databases, aiming to enrich the national database and effectively exploit its usage. It should continue to focus on resources and collaborate with ministries and local authorities to promote the successful implementation of two interconnected online public services: "Birth Registration - Permanent Residence Registration - Health Insurance Card Issuance for Children under 6 years old" and "Death Registration - Removal of Permanent Residence Registration - Funeral Allowance" nationwide. Implementing these services effectively will contribute significantly to the civilization, culture, and economy of society, as well as help prevent legal violations and provide comprehensive benefits to the people./.