Manet lauds digitalisation progress
PRIME Minister Hun Manet has highlighted the significant steps Cambodia has made in the digitalisation process. The premier raised the Kingdom’s progress while addressing the March 11 opening ceremony of the first Digital Government Forum 2024 and Cambodia-International Digital Government and Digital Technology
Exhibition, held under the theme “Sustainable and Inclusive Development through Digital Policy Implementation”, at the capital’s Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The three-day forum was organised by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, with various stakeholders including ASEAN members, development partners and private sector representatives in attendance.
“In recent years, digitalisation in
Cambodia has taken a significant step forward, with the Covid-19 crisis driving the use of digital technology more than ever before,” said Manet.
Citing an example, he said digital payments were expected to have reached around $492 billion in 2023, about 16 times the Kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In Cambodia, the digital revolution aims to capture and maximise the benefits of advances in information technology to increase productivity and economic efficiency, he added, noting that the number of registered internet users and mobile subscribers was estimated to have increased to more than 19 million as of 2023.
Digitalisation would not only boost national economic growth but also build an inclusive, reliable and secure society, while at the same time preserving national identity and culture.
“Within regional and global frameworks, the Cambodian government has been pursuing a digital policy agenda with a proactive and open spirit aimed at achieving the national digital development goals and regional and global digital development goals as set out in the ASEAN Digital Plan 2025 and the UN’s Digital Strategy 2022-25,” he said.
“We have joined the other ASEAN
member states to advance the bloc’s Digital Economic Framework Agreement, which is expected to increase the size of its Digital Economy from $1 trillion to $2 trillion by 2030,” he added.
Telecoms minister Chea Vandeth said the forum and exhibition was designed to share experience about the digital revolution while strengthening cooperation between local digital experts, as well as showcasing the digital achievements of several regional nations.
“Digital technology has made everyday life easier and increased productivity in key areas, such as education, health, labour and public administration, especially through the provision of public services to the people,” he said.
Vandeth added that his ministry has long promoted the development of digital innovation, especially through new technologies such as data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.
“As the digital revolution accelerates, cyber security is a priority that needs to be addressed. As the technical arm of the government, the ministry has been preparing legal documents related to cybersecurity. We will implement mechanisms in the near future that will provide strong protection and resilience to cyberattacks,” he said.
The minister also noted that his ministry is working with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and higher education institutions to encourage the production of digital technology human resources to at least 100,000 people in the next decade.
During the opening ceremony, Manet also presided over the signing ceremony of four memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
The telecoms ministry inked one with their Lao counterparts, and also one with the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
An additional two MoUs were signed with South Korean government institutions to support a Digital Government Cooperation Centre: One with the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the other with the National Information Society Agency.
The three-day event is divided into two sections. The Digital Government Forum will feature keynote addresses from national and international speakers.
The exhibition will showcase new technologies and digital products from around 120 local and international government agencies, as well as the private sector.