Dong Nai promotes digital transformation in cooperative economy

​Digital transformation is an inevitable process for all fields, including the cooperative economy. The current cooperative economy continues to be valued and encouraged to develop to suit the realities of the new situation. Resolution 20-NQ/TW in 2022 of the Party Central Committee affirms that the collective economy and cooperatives in the coming time will be supported to accelerate the digital transformation process. In Dong Nai, a digital transformation project in the cooperative area is also being implemented.

Software application for transportation management at Thanh Phat Transport Service Cooperative (Bien Hoa City)

Digital transformation is an inevitable trend

At the 2022 Cooperative Economic Forum, held on September 23, Chairman of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance Nguyen Ngoc Bao said that there are more than 28.2 thousand cooperatives nationwide. Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW affirms that the information economy is supported to accelerate the digital transformation process, improve the level of science and technology and innovate, and is funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund. However, there are still many challenges in digital transformation because the rate and efficiency of digital transformation is not high and unsustainable in many types of activities and areas of operation of cooperatives.

In fact, digital transformation in cooperatives is still slow and facing many difficulties because three important resources in production and business activities are also fundamental conditions for digital transformation and information technology application. Information in cooperatives including finance, infrastructure and human resources is limited.
At the aforementioned forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that digital transformation is an inevitable trend, an objective requirement of development and is identified as a mandatory requirement. For the cooperative economic sector, the Prime Minister has directed ministries, branches and localities to urgently and drastically implement the national strategic tasks of digital transformation development. Accordingly, focus on building a specialized database of cooperatives connected with other specialties to share and connect market information, development trends, and have a long-term vision for the collective economy to develop quickly and sustainably. In addition, strengthening training and capacity building training for cooperative staff; promote policy communication; use resources to invest in economic development cooperation, cooperatives...

 Dong Nai develops digital transformation project for cooperatives

 The application of technology to business activities of the cooperative has also brought about high efficiency in some units in the province. Thanh Phat Transport Cooperative (Bien Hoa City), Mr. Chu The Thanh, Director of the cooperative, said that there are about 3,000 members operating throughout the country. In order to overcome the inherent difficulties of the cooperative economy, the unit is making efforts to continue the transformation towards digitization, applying technology in business more such as: digitization, application of AI (artificial intelligence) or automation in operational processes; restructure and position the image of the cooperative. Accordingly, the cooperative has now designed its own software to manage production and business activities not only for themselves but also for other units that need it. Increasing technology application will help increase labor productivity, cut costs, improve business strategies and strengthen operating systems.

Similarly, Nhon Trach Transport Service Cooperative is a typical unit of Dong Nai with vehicle management application software applied by many units. After the pilot period at enterprises and cooperatives, the training schools under the Vietnam Cooperative Union have also included in the curriculum to train staff and human resources.
Mr. Do Phuoc Dung, Chairman of Dong Nai Cooperative Alliance, said that in accelerating the progress of digital transformation in the collective economy and cooperatives, the current difficulty is in the plans, the program to support businesses in digital transformation has no content related to supporting cooperative models. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a project for digital transformation in cooperatives and support mechanisms, policies, and finance... This proposal has also been approved by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Tan Duc. Provincial leaders assigned the Cooperative Union to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with relevant units to soon develop a digital transformation scheme in cooperatives for the province to consider and approve. The early completion of the project creates a basis for supporting mechanisms and policies, promoting cooperatives to promote the application of digital transformation in their operations.