Article 1.- To approve the Scheme on "Supporting enterprises in information technology application in service of integration and development in the 2005-2010 period" with the following principal contents:

I. OBJECTIVES:

1. General objectives:

To support Vietnamese enterprises, especially medium- and small-sized ones, in establishing a database on economic information and applying information technology for raising production/business efficiency, competitiveness and international economic integration capacity; to contribute to training human resources and developing the information technology industry market in service of national industrialization and modernization.

2. Specific objectives:

1. To raise the awareness about, and step up, the application of information technology in enterprises, especially medium- and small-sized ones.

2. To give advice to enterprises on applying and selecting information technology solutions suitable to their characteristics and scales.

3. To train human resources for information technology application in enterprises.

4. To contribute to creating a legal environment and conditions for development of information technology application in enterprises.

5. To provide economic information to enterprises, encourage and support enterprises to participate in e-commerce.

II. TASKS:

1. To investigate, survey and research into the actual situation of information technology application in enterprises; to raise the awareness about information technology application; to encourage enterprises to apply information technology.

- To investigate the information technology application situation and demand of Vietnamese enterprises, especially medium- and small-sized ones, in their production, trading, distribution, administration and management, in order to propose the Government appropriate mechanisms, policies and measures to step up information technology application in enterprises.

- To research into the information technology application situation and solutions in foreign enterprises for application to Vietnam's practical conditions.

- To organize workshops, conferences and training courses on information technology application in enterprises, depending on the type, size and business line of enterprises, by region or locality; to disseminate information for raising the awareness about the role and effect of and experience in information technology application in enterprises.

- To compile documents and manuals on enterprise computerization.

- To create links and enhance cooperation between users and suppliers of information technology products and services.

- To award information technology application prizes to enterprises and individuals that have made contributions to the development of information technology application in enterprises.

2. To give advice to enterprises on selecting information technology application solutions suitable to their production/business activities.

- To provide information and documents introducing new information technology solutions to help enterprises choose appropriate technologies.

- To organize displays and exhibitions for experience exchange and hold meetings among enterprises for introduction of applied information technologies suitable to enterprises’ operation domain, characteristics and size.

- To assist Vietnamese enterprises in disseminating and introducing themselves and their products on the Internet; hold "virtual" exhibitions on Vietnamese goods, products and services on the Internet.

- To provide consultancy on development of added value services in support of enterprises.

3. To carry out training programs on necessary skills of information technology application for enterprises' production/business staff.

- To organize training programs on information technology application for enterprises' managers and leaders.

- To organize training programs on specialized information technology application for enterprises' staff directly engaged in production/business activities.

- To organize advanced training programs on formulation, execution, management and supervision of information technology application projects for enterprises' chief information officers (CIO).

4. To coordinate with functional agencies in studying and proposing to the Government policies and regimes to create a favorable legal environment for the development of information technology application in enterprises.

- To disseminate Party and State policies and legal documents on information technology development.

- To closely combine the Scheme's activities with ministries', branches' and localities' programs on state management computerization and on computerization in order to provide support to enterprises.

5. To build a distance enterprise assistance center.

- To build and develop an e-commerce gate, linking Vietnamese enterprises with the world market.

- To train and support enterprises to participate in global commerce through the Internet, contributing to promoting the development of Vietnam's e-commerce.

- To build a rich and diversified, accurate, up-to-date, and reliable economic information database for enterprises.

- To organize on-line forums for enterprises to exchange knowledge about and experience in production, business and market management and penetration.

- To provide on-line transaction instruments in order to reduce costs and raise competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises on the world market.

Article 2.- Organization of implementation

1. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with functional agencies of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies and provincial/municipal People's Committees in, implementing the Scheme, and annually report thereon to the Prime Minister:

- From now till the end of 2006:

a/ To direct the formulation of detailed projects according to the specific tasks of this Scheme, evaluate and approve them according to current regulations. To closely coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in formulating the projects in order to avoid overlap of tasks, causing waste.

b/ To develop a coordination mechanism and a plan on implementation of the Scheme with ministries, branches, localities and concerned agencies.

c/ To coordinate with ministries, branches and a number of big cities in carrying out investigation, survey, training and consultancy activities .

d/ To step up the dissemination for raising enterprises' awareness about information technology application.

e/ To build material and technical foundations and a database, and train staff for the distance enterprise assistance center.

- From 2007 to the end of 2008:

a/ To expand the operation scope of the Scheme, ensuring that by the end of 2008, more than 70% of localities shall take their part in implementing this Scheme.

b/ To expand, and raise the quality of activities of, training and consultancy on information technology application for enterprises.

c/ To put the distance enterprise support center to operation.

- From 2009 to the end of 2010:

To implement the Scheme in all localities countrywide; to develop, and raise the quality of, the distance enterprise assistance center; to strive for the attainment of 50% of enterprises applying information technology to their production/business activities; by the end of 2010, to review the implementation of the Scheme.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall direct its functional agencies to coordinate with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in drawing up a specific operation program of the distance enterprise assistance center on the principles of thrift, efficiency, and overlap avoidance, and enabling enterprises to participate in this activity.

3. The Ministry of Trade shall direct its functional agencies to coordinate with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in implementing the Scheme, ensuring its compatibility with Vietnam's plan on e-commerce development till 2010 on the principles of thrift, efficiency, overlap avoidance and maximum support for enterprises.

4. The budget for implementation of the Scheme shall be mobilized from enterprises' contributions, state budget and partners' supports.

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall provide supports equal to 30-50% of the budget from the state budget, depending on the tasks of each project.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Article 4.- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Government-attached agencies, presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees, and the president of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry shall have to implement this Decision.