Vice President U Myint Swe addresses opening ceremony of e-Government Conference and ICT Exhibition 2018 in Nay Pyi Taw

VICE PRESIDENT U Myint Swe who is the e-Government Steering Committee Chairman addressed the opening ceremony of the e-Government Conference and ICT Exhibition 2018 (Nay Pyi Taw) held at the Myanmar International Convention Center-II (MICC-II) in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.

Present at the event were Union Ministers, Union Auditor General, Union Civil Service Board Chairman, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, State and Region Chief Ministers, Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Deputy Ministers, State and Regions ministers, Hluttaw representatives, ambassadors and diplomats from foreign embassies in Myanmar, patrons, chairman and members of Myanmar Computer Federation, experts and technicians, departmental officials and invited guests.

In his address to the event Vice President U Myint Swe said that in order to successfully implement an e-Government system an e-Government Steering Committee led by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as patron had been formed with five objectives. Furthermore for the Steering Committee to implement its works successfully e-Government work committee, e-ID system work committee and eight sub-committees had been formed and works conducted.

e-Government is a Government that uses ICT (information and communications technology) to speed up the works and decisions of the Government, enable Government works to be effective and more widely available in providing better and improved services towards fulfilling the requirements of the people transparently and speedily.

The reason for implementing e-Government is to have efficient and speedy communications between the Government and the public servants, Government and private business persons and the government departments. e-Government has the ability to transform a developing country into a developed country and plays an important role for sustainable development and reducing poverty. Furthermore e-Government is one of the Development Indicators to measure the development of a country.

e-Government development of countries are measured by the United Nations’ three e-Government Development Indexes which are Online Service Index, Telecommunication Index and Human Capital Index. Looking at Myanmar’s e-Government Index, in 2016 it stood at 169 out of 193 and in 2018, it rises to 157.

ICT development is required to be used as a driving force for our country to catch up with other developed countries and to have socio-economic development. In Myanmar also, it can be seen that businesses are using ICT technology to raise the production and service capacities.

The basic infrastructures and network linkages between ministries were established to successfully implement e-Government. A National Web Portal was also established in September. To store data and information of ministries securely and safely, arrangements were made to establish a government data center and specialized technical courses were also being conducted. Some laws required for e-Government were enacted and arrangements were made to draw up and enact a Cyber Law, said the Vice President.

Implementing e-Government requires taking examples and experience of some countries. Similarities can be seen in countries with top-notch e-Governments. First, the Union level, region and state level and regional level governments are using a single National Web Portal to provide services. Second, Action Plans were drawn up based on data and information collected yearly. Next, these were prioritized during the implementation of people centered services desired by the people. Third is using of Digital Identity systems in conducting the works. Therefore our country should also study the good examples and practices of other countries and use the best methods and systems that are nearest to our requirements.

There must be an Open Government first to have a successful e-Government. An Open Government is a government that provides data and information that the citizens have the right to know. It encourages the people’s participation in drawing up policies for the people. In addition to this, added benefits such as creating job opportunities and providing support to businesses will be automatically achieved when people know and use data and information related to them.

Second, there must be a Competent Government. That is why the Government is making it a priority to raise the capacity and quality of the public servants. Third is to share and use news and information. Work efficiency improves when information is shared and distributed as required within government departments and there will be more cooperation among the government departments. Required polices are to be set and enacted so that there is no breach in security when information and data are shared.

Fourth is to become a Service-Oriented Government. To provide good and effective service to the people, priority must be given on enabling the people to use it with confidence and ease. One-Stop Services are to be implemented so that all works can be done at a single place.

Fifth point for e-Government sector development is the requirement of the country’s ICT Industry sector to develop. Only then can dependent on foreign sources for software, hardware and technology can be reduced gradually creating job opportunities for the people.

Today’s event is about a conference and exhibition that is vital for implementing e-Government in Myanmar. At the conference, matters of vital importance for the country and people in e-Government implementing works will be shared and discussed. In addition to this, it would be very useful as ICT exhibits are included where e-Government systems and technologies can be studied. It is strongly believed that the conference will bring forth forces, methods and solutions to continue future works in a sustained momentum.
Many thanks is owed to the e-Government Steering Committee, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Myanmar Computer Federation and association for putting their best efforts toward successfully organizing the event. It is also believed that all understand the e-Government Visions for a successful e-Government system and work towards it. Therefore, union level, state and region level, district level, township level and village level public servants, computer associations, business persons, technicians, experts and citizens are urged to work together towards a successful e-Government system, said the Vice President.

Next e-Government Steering Committee Vice-Chairman Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Thant Sin Maung explained about the status of works conducted to implement the e-Government system successfully and establishment of ICT infrastructures.

Afterwards Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF) Chairman U Khun Oo delivered a message of greetings followed by screening of a video documentary on works conducted for ICT sector development.

Later e-Government Steering Committee Vice-Chairmen Union Minister U Thaung Tun and U Thant Sin Maung, MCF Chairman U Khun Oo, Huawei Co., Ltd. CEO Mr. Liman Zhang and Ease Net Co., Ltd CEO U Kyaw Moe Naing cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the e-Government Conference and ICT Exhibition 2018 (Nay Pyi Taw).

Vice President U Myint Swe and attendees then posed for a commemorative group photo and visited the exhibits displayed to commemorate the e-Government Conference and ICT Exhibition 2018 (Nay Pyi Taw).

Later in the afternoon the second part of the ceremony was held where talks under the titles of “Road to Digital Myanmar” and “Technology Perspectives” were conducted.

The e-Government Conference and ICT Exhibition 2018 (Nay Pyi Taw) will be held until 28 November, it is learnt.

MNA

(Translated by Zaw Min)

Ref: The Global New Light of Myanmar