Ministry makes headway on 2022-2035 digital gov’t policy
THE Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is preparing a new draft law in line with the Cambodian Digital Government Policy 2022-2035 to streamline public administration, advance good governance, and improve public services to better meet the needs of the people.
Telecoms minister Chea Vandeth said the government has laid out the digital policy to build a smart government by using infrastructure and digital technology as ecological systems to enact transparent reforms to develop an inclusive economy and digital society.
“Specialists from the ministry are currently studying legal documents from various countries to solicit input into the draft law. We expect that it will take at least one year and a half to finalise the draft law,” he said.
Vandeth said the ministry is fully behind the government’s ambition to turn Cambodia into a digital economy and society by 2035, with widespread use of technology across for all transactions, large and small.
For Cambodia to realise the government’s vision, he said people in all industries must be prepared to master the use of technology in their professional lives. State institutions – and the private sector – would use advanced technologies to provide people with pubic services.
“We are beginning this process. The private sector must also embrace digital means of managing firms and providing clients with goods and services. Our vision is that Cambodia be run almost entirely digitally by 2023,” he said.
To accomplish this goal, he said the ministry has set out 10 strategies and 86 action plans. The Digital Government Committee,
which he chairs, has the role of leading and coordinating ministries and institutions at the national and sub-national level through their digital transformations. Under each secretary of state, there is also a unit tasked with making the transitions successful.
“We will establish a digital government to improve the quality of life in Cambodia and build trust among the people through better public service provision,” he said.
In January, Prime Minister Hun Sen laid out a digital policy, saying it would be conducive to sustainable digital socio-economic development.