The master plan,known as Programme 896, was approved by former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dungin 2015 as part of the development of e-government in Vietnam.
The plan aims toincrease the use of IT in administrative procedures, reduce paperwork andstreamline processes related to population management.
Under the plan,basic information on every citizen will be included in a national database onpopulation using personal identification numbers by the end of 2020.
Regarding issuingpersonal identification numbers, the Ministry of Public Security reported thatit co-ordinated with the Ministry of Justice to install birth certificateregistration software on a trial basis at population registration andmanagement agencies in 12 provinces and cities, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, DaNang, HCM City, An Giang, Dong Thap, Sac Trang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Quang Ninh, VinhLong and Nghe An.
By February 5, 335,371 newborns had theirbirth certificates registered and were issued citizen identification numbers.
The scheme will be rolled out nationwide inApril.
Many participantsat the meeting proposed granting personal identification numbers to Vietnamesepeople who return to Vietnam from abroad.
The national population management databaseplan was approved and is ready to be built, according to Deputy Prime MinisterTruong Hoa Binh, who is also Head of the Programme Steering Committee.
Regarding the implementation of the programmein 2017, the deputy PM urged ministries and agencies to intensify efforts tobuild technical infrastructure for the national database.
The database will be decisive to the successof the national scheme to simplify administrative procedures, citizenshipdocuments and population management, he said.
Bình asked the ministries and agencies toreview difficulties and obstacles in granting personal identification numbersto those in remote and mountainous areas and people working and studyingabroad.
The 2017 tasks will focus on completing theconstruction of the national database on population, expanding the granting ofpersonal identification numbers nationwide and submitting a resolution onadministrative procedures simplification to the Government.-VNA