Improved ICT infrastructure to benefit Bimp-Eaga
ICT meet: Brunei Darussalam's representatives at the Opening of the Third Bimp-Eaga Telecommunication meeting. Picture: Zamri Zainal
Saturday, March 29, 2008
AN INTERNATIONAL forum has highlighted the need to develop strong Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in areas linked in the Bimp-Eaga as ICT is fast becoming a basic necessity, the driver and enabler for businesses to succeed in today's world.
The permanent secretary of Ministry of Communications, Hj Alaihuddin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Hj Mohd Taha, told the opening of the two-day Third Bimp-Eaga Telecommunication meeting here yesterday that ICT is no longer "relegated to a luxury or a nice to have asset" in business.
"Improving the ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite for development even before we could develop and embark on projects to capitalise on, synergise and allocate capital amongst the (Bimp-Eaga)," he said at a gathering of the representatives of the countries concerned.
The Bimp-Eaga stands for the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines - East Asean Growth Area. It is Asia's largest regional grouping, spanning territories of four Asean countries. The grouping comprises the entire Brunei Darussalam; 10 provinces in the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua; Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. Its land area of roughly 1.54 million square kilometres is home to about 50 million people (1996).
"Complementary economic development means that we should design and implement projects with sustainable business models that synergise our unique strengths in the region." he added. "It is through the development of innovative ICT that we can truly leverage our local resources and enhance Bimp-Eaga's relevance in the global market," he added.
The world, he said, is becoming increasingly inter-dependent, inter-connected and the influence of competitive forces and the advancement and convergence of info-communications technology would only serve to increase the rate of business and socio economic growth across the globe.
Wireless technology has been regarded as a feasible alternative to address connectivity issues in rural areas, he added. "This is why the programme for this working group today will have a lasting impact on the development and growth of our economies," he said.
The closed-door meeting will discuss topics of relevance to the development of ICT within Bimp-E
aga including the promotion of wireless technology networks, development and implementation in rural areas as a case study for Bimp-eaga and IP based solutions for telecommunications in rural and border areas.
A discussion is planned on the outcomes of the first Bimp-Eaga ICT Congress and on the initiative that will be introduced later this year, including tariff reduction in border areas and establishment of a secured ICT network within Bimp-Eaga infrastructure.
The Brunei Times
The permanent secretary of Ministry of Communications, Hj Alaihuddin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Utama Hj Mohd Taha, told the opening of the two-day Third Bimp-Eaga Telecommunication meeting here yesterday that ICT is no longer "relegated to a luxury or a nice to have asset" in business.
"Improving the ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite for development even before we could develop and embark on projects to capitalise on, synergise and allocate capital amongst the (Bimp-Eaga)," he said at a gathering of the representatives of the countries concerned.
The Bimp-Eaga stands for the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines - East Asean Growth Area. It is Asia's largest regional grouping, spanning territories of four Asean countries. The grouping comprises the entire Brunei Darussalam; 10 provinces in the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua; Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. Its land area of roughly 1.54 million square kilometres is home to about 50 million people (1996).
"Complementary economic development means that we should design and implement projects with sustainable business models that synergise our unique strengths in the region." he added. "It is through the development of innovative ICT that we can truly leverage our local resources and enhance Bimp-Eaga's relevance in the global market," he added.
The world, he said, is becoming increasingly inter-dependent, inter-connected and the influence of competitive forces and the advancement and convergence of info-communications technology would only serve to increase the rate of business and socio economic growth across the globe.
Wireless technology has been regarded as a feasible alternative to address connectivity issues in rural areas, he added. "This is why the programme for this working group today will have a lasting impact on the development and growth of our economies," he said.
The closed-door meeting will discuss topics of relevance to the development of ICT within Bimp-E
aga including the promotion of wireless technology networks, development and implementation in rural areas as a case study for Bimp-eaga and IP based solutions for telecommunications in rural and border areas.
A discussion is planned on the outcomes of the first Bimp-Eaga ICT Congress and on the initiative that will be introduced later this year, including tariff reduction in border areas and establishment of a secured ICT network within Bimp-Eaga infrastructure.
The Brunei Times
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