Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong: Integrating posts with public administration and applying UAV is the trend
According to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong, the integration of postal services with public administration, digital finance, and e-commerce, along with the application of new technologies such as UAV in logistics, is a direction consistent with current development trends.
On the morning of March 4, 2026, at the headquarters of the Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee, the Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam Post Corporation (Vietnam Post) held a signing ceremony for a Cooperation Agreement for the 2026-2030 period.
The event marks a new step in the coordination between the local government and the national postal enterprise, aiming to promote digital transformation (DT), develop postal infrastructure and e-commerce, and improve the quality of services provided to residents across the province.
The signing ceremony was attended by Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong; Mr. Nguyen Van Doat, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Post. Also in attendance were leaders from the Dien Bien Department of Science and Technology, Vietnam Post, and Dien Bien Post.
Expanding cooperation space for sustainable development
Under the Cooperation Agreement, the two sides agreed to implement several core tasks. Notably, they will promote the provision of public administrative services through the public postal system; coordinate in receiving, digitizing records, and returning the results of administrative procedures; and gradually entrust the postal enterprise with certain stages at provincial and commune-level Public Administration Service Centers in accordance with legal regulations.
At the same time, both parties agreed to expand social security payment services, as well as collection and disbursement in the public administration sector through the network of ward and commune post offices, ensuring the right beneficiaries, correct regimes, safety, and convenience for the people.
The two sides also agreed to strongly develop postal financial services, promoting cashless payments at 100% of ward and commune post offices; implement digital transformation solutions for household businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises; and support residents in accessing voluntary social insurance and health insurance services right at the grassroots level.
In the fields of e-commerce and logistics, Vietnam Post will leverage its agricultural e-commerce platform and extensive distribution network to support the consumption of OCOP (One Commune, One Product) items and local specialties such as Dien Bien rice, coffee, macadamia nuts, and medicinal herbs. This includes setting up stalls, organizing displays, promoting local products, and investing in transit points and logistics warehouses to serve agricultural collection, particularly in remote, mountainous, and border areas.
Cooperation must be substantive and effective
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong highly appreciated the proactive spirit of Dien Bien Province and Vietnam Post in concretizing major central policies through cooperation programs with clear goals and roadmaps.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that in the current period, postal infrastructure is no longer merely a delivery network but has become a vital component of the national digital infrastructure. The integration of posts with public administration, digital finance, e-commerce, and the application of new technologies like UAV in logistics is an approach that aligns with global trends.
For Dien Bien, a mountainous and border province with highly fragmented terrain, leveraging the extensive postal network combined with the application of new technologies will create an important shift in local socio-economic development.
In particular, after the working delegation conducted a field survey in communes of Muong Ang and Tuan Giao districts - areas with large macadamia plantations and complex mountainous terrain - the Deputy Minister noted the great potential for applying UAV in agricultural logistics.
Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong praised the role of Vietnam Post in pioneering research and piloting the transport of agricultural products, especially macadamia nuts, from hillside harvest sites to preliminary processing and treatment facilities.
The application of UAV in areas with difficult transportation, long distances, and steep slopes will contribute to shortening transport time, reducing costs, limiting post-harvest loss, and enhancing product value. This is considered a suitable direction for Dien Bien's practical conditions, while opening up a low-altitude airspace economic model linked to agricultural digital transformation.
According to Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Doat, signing the 2026-2030 Cooperation Agreement with Vietnam Post is a concrete step toward realizing the resolutions of the Central Government and the Provincial Party Committee regarding breakthroughs in science, technology, and digital transformation.
Dien Bien identifies digital transformation not just as a technological task but as a breakthrough solution to shorten the development gap and improve governance efficiency and service quality for the People. In this context, the grassroots postal network serves as an "extended arm" of the government, helping to bring public services, postal finance, and e-commerce to every commune and village.
Consequently, the Provincial Leadership affirmed: "The Provincial People's Committee will create all favorable conditions in terms of mechanisms and policies, as well as coordinate closely with Vietnam Post and Dien Bien Post to effectively implement the signed contents, ensuring transparency, compliance, and practical benefits for the people".
Commitment to action, ensuring substantive results
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Chairman of the Board of Members, affirmed that as the National Postal Enterprise, Vietnam Post will prioritize the allocation of appropriate resources to consolidate and upgrade postal infrastructure in Dien Bien Province.
The focus will be on reorganizing the commune post office network into a "Commune Postal - Public Administration Service Center" model, moving toward multi-service integration capable of serving public administration, social security payments, postal finance, and supporting e-commerce right at the grassroots.
According to Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, this cooperation with Dien Bien is approached with a mindset of building infrastructure platforms for digital government and the digital economy, rather than just expanding delivery services. The grassroots postal network must become a trusted point for providing public and digital services, especially given the complex terrain and dispersed population of a mountainous border province.
The Corporation also aims to research and deploy new technological solutions, including UAV applications in suitable locations, ensuring safety requirements, legal compliance, and practical effectiveness.
To implement the Agreement effectively, the Corporation has assigned Dien Bien Post to act as the focal point for coordination with departments and sectors to develop annual implementation plans with specific goals and targets, while maintaining periodic reporting and evaluation mechanisms to monitor progress and quality.
Regarding social security payments, the Chairman emphasized that this is an important political task requiring high discipline, accuracy, and safety. The provincial post office will fully prepare human resources, vehicles, and IT equipment; develop detailed payment plans; and coordinate closely with grassroots authorities to ensure payments reach the right beneficiaries, in the right amount, at the right time, ensuring both cash and information security throughout the process.
"The cooperation agreement is only truly meaningful when it creates specific and measurable results. The ultimate goal is to serve the people better, support local businesses in expanding their markets, and contribute to enhancing the governance efficiency of the provincial government in a digital environment", Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang emphasized./.
Copyright belongs to the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology (VJST-MOST)