Co-organised by Enterprise Ireland, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vietnam Software Association, the forum was attended by representatives of eight Irish ICT and software companies.

Vo Tan Thanh, general director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry HCM City branch, said the telecom industry is growing rapidly in Vietnam .

According to the General Statistics Office, the number of internet users and phone subscribers last year increased by 45.8 percent and 62.3 percent over 2008 to 22.8 million and 135 million, respectively, Thanh said. Vietnam has great potential for ICT development, he added.

Phi Anh Tuan of the Vietnam Software Association (Vinasa) said his company wanted to develop the telecom sector by working with overseas companies.

More and more schools in Vietnam are offering IT training and some universities have adopted international syllabi and curricula in IT teaching, he said. About 40,000 IT students graduate from universities and schools each year.

He said the Vietnamese Government is creating favourable conditions for ICT enterprises to operate, including a four-year corporate income tax exemption, VAT exemption on software products, a dedicated industrial zone for ICT companies, and improving intellectual property
protection.
Source: VNA