In his opening remarks, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Banks Association, emphasized that the banking sector, a pioneer in technology adoption and service digitalization, is fully equipped to transition into a new development phase—a data-centric era where data drives operations, decision-making, and customer service. This transition also aims to establish an intelligent, flexible, secure, and scalable digital banking ecosystem, in which data becomes a core resource for growth and innovation, beyond just an operational tool.

Currently, over 90% of banking transactions in many credit institutions are conducted through digital channels, and more than 87% of adults in Vietnam hold bank accounts. In addition, a wide range of services—including deposits, account openings, card issuance, money transfers, and lending—have been fully digitalized, shortening processing times, reducing costs, and enhancing convenience for customers.

Forum overview

Furthermore, the recently passed Amended Law on Electronic Transactions and Personal Data Protection Law include stricter regulations on data classification, management, sharing, and protection. These legal requirements must be strictly adhered to by banks and simultaneously pose significant challenges for developing a robust industry-wide data infrastructure.

At the forum, Mr. Le Anh Dung, Deputy Director of the Payment Department at the State Bank of Vietnam, highlighted that the explosion of transactions, customer behavior, markets, and interaction channels has generated massive volumes of data that, if effectively leveraged, can deliver tremendous value. However, the collection, refinement, and utilization of such data require a solid foundation—a modern and suitable data architecture.

"Data architecture is no longer optional; it is a mandatory requirement for banks in the digital era. Building an appropriate data architecture will not only help address current challenges but also unlock unprecedented opportunities for innovation, competitiveness, and superior customer service," Mr. Le Anh Dung stated.

Mr. Nguyen Hung Nguyen, Deputy General Director of NAPAS, sharing at the forum

Regarding Vietnam’s payment system, Mr. Nguyen Hung Nguyen, Deputy General Director of NAPAS, shared that NAPAS has set a challenging and long-term goal to provide zero-downtime services, even during scheduled or unexpected maintenance.

"To achieve this goal, we have prepared for many years by modernizing the network, upgrading servers and database systems, and re-architecting all service applications—transitioning from traditional delivery models to a modern API-based platform. At present, we are confident that this objective is fully achievable by 2030," Mr. Nguyen Hung Nguyen said.

From the perspective of state management, Mr. Le Hoang Chinh Quang stated that the State Bank of Vietnam will focus on several tasks in the coming period: perfecting legal frameworks and policies to facilitate cooperation, connection, and data sharing, thereby enhancing service quality; collaborating with banks to build an industry-wide shared database system aimed at standardization, modernization, improved sharing, and optimized data utilization.

In addition, the State Bank will work on developing and issuing data standards, with clear regulations on information and data security. Banks will also be encouraged to implement new technologies such as AI, Big Data, and Blockchain to support the creation of a flexible and sustainable data infrastructure.