The provincial Department of Science and Technology reported on preparations for the competition. To date, the province's shared database comprises more than 330 data categories contributed by 18 departments and sectors, containing 987 data tables and 13,899 data fields. It centrally manages 31,174,596 records across 40,460 data files. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC), in coordination with provincial departments and agencies, has developed 342 dashboards and 1,104 AI chatbots to support management and administration activities.

The department has issued documents on coordination to popularise the competition and has published the competition plan, rules, and guidance documents on the provincial portal and the websites of relevant departments and agencies. The competition has also been widely publicised through digital platforms, social media, the province's Zalo official account (Zalo OA), and various other appropriate communication channels.

Regarding the disbursement of funds for science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in 2026, the Department of Finance reported that the province's total budget allocation for these fields this year amounts to 437.2 billion VND (16.6 million USD), up 108% from 2025. Of the total, more than 278.4 billion VND, or 63.69% of the approved budget estimate, has been allocated. The remaining 158.5 billion VND has yet to be allocated, as several funding items are awaiting guidance from ministries and agencies and the completion of required administrative procedures. As of July 20, Son La had disbursed nearly 40.8 billion VND, equivalent to 14.65% of the annual plan.

Concluding the event, Chien called on relevant agencies and units to continue coordinating closely to finalise registration documents, select entries, and ensure that technical infrastructure, data resources, and all organisational preparations are in place for the successful organisation of the competition in early August.

Regarding fund disbursement, he instructed project owners and related agencies to review each project and task, proactively address bottlenecks, and expedite investment procedures, procurement, bidding, appraisal and acceptance, and final settlement processes.

He also directed authorities to review and reallocate funds from projects with slow disbursement to those capable of utilising the resources more effectively, strengthen the accountability of agency heads, and intensify supervision to ensure the province meets its 2026 disbursement targets./.