- 8 Oct 2026 – Meeting at SAWACO
- 8 CAs – Public CAs involved
- 1.67m – Water meters managed
- 97 – Wards for Q4 outreach
📰 Event summary
On the afternoon of 8 October 2026, at the headquarters of Saigon Water Supply Corporation (SAWACO), Vietnam's National Electronic Authentication Centre (NEAC) met SAWACO and 8 public digital signature certification authorities (CAs) to resolve technical issues and agree on support policies helping residents use digital signatures for SAWACO's online services and electronic contracts.
- NEAC: Mr Pham Quoc Hoan, Deputy Director, with staff from NEAC's HCMC branch
- SAWACO: Mr Nguyen Van Dang, Deputy General Director, with department and member-unit leaders
- Public CAs: 8 organizations (listed below)
- VNPT-CA
- CMC-CA
- EasyCA
- MISA-CA
- BkavCA
- CA2
- IntrustCA
- MatbaoCA
💧 Why SAWACO is a good starting point
SAWACO serves about 11 million people in Ho Chi Minh City and manages over 1.67 million water meters, with individual customers making up more than 97% (over 1.63 million). NEAC sees this as a strong basis for rolling out digital signatures at scale, tied directly to residents' everyday needs.
🤝 What was agreed
- CAs commit to support: The 8 public CAs committed to working with NEAC and SAWACO through the rollout.
- Free personal certificates agreed in principle: The CAs agreed in principle to provide free personal digital signature certificates to SAWACO customers transacting for water services.
- Per-signature fee discounts proposed: The CAs proposed discount options for per-signature fees in the early phase.
- NEAC to coordinate a common framework: NEAC will lead a consistent, transparent and workable incentive framework across CAs.
⚠️ Note: these are agreements in principle. Mechanisms, procedures and per-signature pricing are still being finalized; wait for official announcements from SAWACO and NEAC.
🗓️ Next steps
- Q4 2026 – Outreach in 97 wards and communes: Joint communication across the 97 wards and communes in SAWACO's service area, guiding residents to activate and use digital signatures.
- Ongoing – Finalize mechanisms and policies: A joint action plan, support mechanisms, standardized procedures and unified per-signature pricing.
🎯 What it means for residents and businesses
🏠 Residents
- ✅ Sign water supply contracts and use online services without visiting a service counter
- ✅ May receive a free personal digital signature certificate under the agreed principle
- ✅ Reuse the signature for other e-transactions later
🏢 Utilities and service providers
- ✅ A reference model for power, telecom and healthcare providers digitizing contracts with individuals
- ✅ Connect to many CAs through NEAC's eSign Gateway instead of integrating each one
- ✅ Lower printing and paper archiving costs
To see how software connects to many CAs through one gateway, read the NEAC eSign Gateway integration guide.
✅ How residents can prepare
- Follow official announcements: SAWACO, its member water companies and ward/commune authorities will provide guidance in Q4 2026.
- Have a smartphone and citizen ID ready: Personal signatures for online transactions are usually remote signatures confirmed in the CA's app on your phone.
- Use licensed CAs only: Check the list of public certification service providers at rootca.gov.vn.
- Beware of scams: Never share OTPs or signing-app passwords with anyone claiming by phone or message to be from the water company or a CA.
❓ FAQ on digital signatures for SAWACO customers
Will SAWACO customers get free digital signatures?
According to NEAC, 8 public CAs agreed in principle to provide free personal certificates to SAWACO customers transacting for water services. Details are still being finalized.
Which CAs are involved?
Eight: VNPT-CA, CMC-CA, EasyCA, MISA-CA, BkavCA, CA2, IntrustCA and MatbaoCA.
When will residents receive guidance?
In Q4 2026, through outreach in the 97 wards and communes in SAWACO's service area.
Which SAWACO services will use digital signatures?
Water supply transactions, related online services and SAWACO's electronic contracts.
How much will each signature cost?
No official price yet. CAs proposed early-phase discounts; NEAC will coordinate a common framework and unified pricing.
📰 Legal basis and sources
- NEAC phối hợp cùng SAWACO và các CA công cộng thúc đẩy ứng dụng chữ ký số trong dịch vụ trực tuyến - neac.gov.vn
- Danh sách tổ chức cung cấp dịch vụ chứng thực chữ ký số công cộng - rootca.gov.vn
ℹ️ Compiled from NEAC's news post of 11 October 2026 (Vietnamese original; unofficial translation) for reference only. Support mechanisms and fees will follow official NEAC and SAWACO announcements.
