Da Nang sets a target of the percentage of people using digital signatures to increase to 40% in 2024 in a bid to rise the benefits brought by the digital transformation. The task requires the great efforts and strong determination of governments at all levels and local residents.

The Da Nang Department of Information and Communications, the Viet Nam Digital Signature and Electronic Transaction Club, and 8 businesses currently providing public digital signature authentication services in the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding on providing free digital signatures for people. Photo: CHIEN THANG

As of March 2024, Da Nang had provided a total of 1,797 online public services, accounting for 93.54% of the total administrative procedures (the national average of 43.67%), according to the municipal Department of Information and Communications.

The rate of online public services with generated records reached 96%, exceeding the national target in 2023 by 80%, and the city target in 2023 by 95%. The proportion of online administrative services hit 80%, exceeding the national target of 2023 by 60% and representing 80% of the city target in 2023.

To continue to facilitate the handling of administrative procedures in the e-environment, the city provided more than 1,000 digitally signed accounts for doctors, teachers, and workers at public hospitals and schools.

Previously, in July 2023, the municipal Department of Information and Communications, the Viet Nam Digital Signature and Electronic Transactions Club, and 8 businesses currently providing public digital signature authentication services in the city entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on deploying free digital signatures to people.

The agreement marked Da Nang as the 8^th locality in the country to widely grant free digital certificates for individuals and people to use digital signatures when performing administrative procedures and other transactions in the electronic environment.

In addition to businesses, organisations, and individuals, many banks citywide have used digital signatures in the process of signing, sending, and handling related work.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huong, Head of Transaction Department of the Ban Viet Bank (BVBank) of Hai Chau branch, said that since 2023 the number of records and transactions using digital signatures at the transaction office has accounted for about 20%, which is expected to increase to 30-40% in 2024. Through the use, the bank highly appreciated the authenticity and security of digital signatures on smart devices, he added.

According to the Department of Information and Communications, the city is facing difficulties in the universalisation of digital signatures for people because there are few digitally signed services/utilities, except e-contracts and public services.

The other reason is that people still lack awareness of using digital signatures. Also, there are still concerns about security and additional costs affecting the process of applying electronic signatures in handling administrative procedures.

In fact, the free issuance of digital signatures is only the first step, but in order for people to use them more, the government and organisations need to provide additional utilities to handle documents and administrative procedures in the e-environment  in a faster and more convenient manner.

In the long term, the municipal government is aiming to develop digital signatures into a revenue-generating utility platform, creating beneficial value for the economy and society.

Da Nang has taken many synchronous solutions from the city to district, ward and commune levels in applying digital signatures to online public services and universalising digital signatures for the people.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications Tran Ngoc Thach said that the city is making efforts so that every adult citizen has a digital identity, a digital account, and a personal digital signature to use online public services and digital services/utilities.

In the coming time, the department will coordinate with departments, agencies, branches, districts, wards and communes to strive to reach 40% of people with digital signatures by the end of 2024. The percentage will increase to 50% by 2025.

To do that, the local Department of Information and Communications is making efforts to raise public awareness and create information diversity to help people access digital signatures safely and effectively.

Reporting by CHIEN THANG - Translating by M.DUNG