At a seminar on development of an IT center at the Mekong Delta’s key economic zone with a vision of making it a member of the Quang Trung Software City chain held in Can Tho on December 6, Kha said the Government has plans to develop such centers in large cities including Can Tho to help domestic firms improve their competitiveness.

Dao Dinh Kha of the Ministry of Information and Communications speaks at a seminar in Can Tho City on December 6 - PHOTO: HUYNH KIM

Following the models of Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) in HCMC and Danang Software Park, Can Tho has drawn up a plan to develop a 20-hectare IT center in Cai Rang District, which will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. The center will be connected to the QTSC chain to meet the demand for IT services of enterprises in Can Tho, Kha said.

Nguyen Thi Diep, a representative of German-invested Digi-Texx Vietnam Co Ltd which specializes in data digitization, said the company has been running a branch in Can Tho for seven years and has encountered numerous difficulties due to a lack of IT services.

Lam Nguyen Hai Long, CEO of QTSC, told the seminar that the company returned an upfront investment of VND250 billion (US$11.01 million) to the HCMC government after five years of operation. This year HCMC can collect VND700 billion in taxes from QTSC, mainly personal income tax on staff of QTSC member firms, including six in Can Tho.

Nguyen Hoang Viet, director of Can Tho University Software Center, said at the seminar that 80% of graduates from Can Tho University are now working for the center. However, a centralized IT center is needed to grow the workforce.

Can Tho, which is now home to five universities that have IT programs with 1,200 graduates a year and many large enterprises, holds high potential to develop the IT sector, said Do Hoang Trung, director of the Can Tho Department of Information and Communications.

Tran Van Dung, deputy director of the Danang branch of DTT Technology JSC, the planner of Danang Software Park, said the park has been recognized as the second centralized IT center in the country with 75 enterprises. These firms have 2,400 employees and generate annual revenue of VND974 billion.

DTT is now the planner of the Can Tho centralized IT center which will be a center of services and infrastructure for socio-economic development of Can Tho and the Mekong Delta.

The cost of the project will be VND174.6 billion, Dung added.

Source: The Saigon Times