Asean government officers laud Brunei's IT advancements

GOVERNMENT officers from Asean countries participating in a two-week Information Technology (IT) training programme at the Civil Service Institute (IPA) yesterday said the training has been very relevant and useful for them as most of them did not have prior IT knowledge, and it served as an opportunity for them to further their careers.

During a visit to the iCentre in Angerek Desa, Jalan Berakas yesterday, The Brunei Times caught up with the delegates to find out how effective the training programme has been in the last four days.

Civil Servant Manager Doviet Minh of Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs said he had learned a great deal about IT management.

"I have been learning a lot about IT skills and using computers. Before this, I did not know much, even about softwares for project management," he said.

Minh added: "In fact, this training has been good because I am also gaining knowledge about Brunei's culture at the same time."

Commenting on the visit to iCentre, he said: "iCentre has very high technology. I think Brunei should export these technologies to Vietnam because it would be suitable. Such an example would be a surveillance system."

Sengsouliya Phouangphet, Vice-Chief of Administration (Management Division) at Lao People's Supreme Court said he too, gained a lot of knowledge and experience in handling management projects with IT.

"This is my first time training with IT, and this is really useful for me. I think this is an opportunity for me to use IT to help the development of my country," he said.

Meanwhile, another participant from Lao, Bounthai Pankeo, said she has learned management skills and how to play an effective role as a manager.

Pankeo, the deputy director of personnel department at the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor of Lao said: "I did not have any IT skills before I came to Brunei. I did not know how to plan and manage projects, but now I am learning."

She added once she returned to Lao, she intended to set up a website to link the public and her office, where the public could easily access information about the department and its functions.

Vice Head Officer at Home and Resource Training at the Asean Resource Centre in Cambodia, Soban Nob said she had never seen training programmes for IT that Brunei offered.

"In Cambodia, we have no systems or programmes for IT training, unlike what IPA has. I have learned a lot of managerial functions and skills using a computer," she said.

Regarding yesterday's visit, Nob said she had no idea what to expect before arriving at the centre. "Now I know its a training facility, where a lot of budding companies participate to become popular in the world," she said.

Nob added she was thinking of bringing home some of the ideas and concepts she learned about from the centre.

The participants will continue their training at IPA over the next one and a half weeks, as well as visiting landmarks of the Sultanate.

The Brunei Times