Ho Chi Minh City Pilots Smart City Initiatives at Xa (Ward) Level

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest metropolis, has introduced smart city development at the xa (ward) level as a strategic initiative to accelerate digital transformation and digital governance. This endeavor aims to continuously improve service efficiency for citizens and businesses. The xa-level smart city model is expected to play a crucial role, particularly in coastal economic development. For instance, 'Tan Phuoc Smart Port City' is positioned as a strategic hub for marine economic development. Ho Chi Minh City continues to seek concrete solutions for realizing smart cities, and this xa-level pilot is seen as a pathway to digitalizing the entire city and enhancing administrative services. Under Vietnam's one-party system, such advanced urban development projects hold significant importance as drivers of economic growth and as concrete implementations of the central government's digitalization policies.