State Bank of Vietnam governor urges banks to strengthen digital infrastructure data security and digital skills

The State Bank of Vietnam published remarks by Governor Pham Duc An at the award ceremony for the 2026 Banking Sector Digital Transformation contest, where he set out the main priorities for digitalisation across Vietnam's banking industry. He urged banks and other sector entities to keep citizens and businesses at the centre, treat data as the foundation and technology as the driver, and continue implementing both institution-level and sector-wide digital transformation plans. He highlighted four areas for action: strengthening the legal and policy framework for digital banking, expanding digital infrastructure and connected sector databases, embedding cyber security and personal data protection throughout digital services, and developing digital skills and digital culture across the workforce. Specific tasks included broader digital payments and services linked to Project 06, electronic authentication, biometric verification and customer data cleansing, alongside stronger anti-fraud measures and public awareness on safe use of digital banking. The contest featured 32 teams and more than 600 participants, with Vietcombank winning the special prize and Sacombank taking first prize. The State Bank of Vietnam said proposals presented during the contest on process redesign, technology deployment, customer experience and system security will be further studied and implemented by participating institutions.