ASEAN takes steps to get 'more wired'<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Southeast Asian telecommunications
\nministers agreed late last week on key measures to be taken to
\nget the region \"more wired\" and interconnected to help boost
\ninvestments and economic growth.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN ministers, who held their first-ever annual meeting
\nin Kuala Lumpur, agreed Friday to set up working groups to
\nidentify projects to develop the region's telecommunications and
\ninformation technology sectors.<\/p>\n
They also signed an agreement stating the grouping's resolve
\nto cooperate and collaborate on telecommunications issues, and
\nlaunched the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) which
\nharmonizes test and certification procedures for the sale of
\ntelecom equipment in ASEAN markets.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's telecommunications minister, Leo Moggie, who
\nchaired the meeting, said the decisions taken by the ministers
\nwould help ensure that ASEAN would not \"be left behind\" in the
\nfast pace of the information era.<\/p>\n
The ministers agreed to improve regional information
\ninfrastructure, narrow the digital divide among ASEAN countries,
\nupgrade training of skilled workers, develop local Internet
\ncontent, promote e-commerce, and step up intra-ASEAN
\ntelecommunications investments.<\/p>\n
They also agreed to formulate regulatory policies, remove
\nbarriers that block e-commerce, and invited the private sector
\nfor dialogue through the formation of an ASEAN telecommunications
\nbusiness forum.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement issued at the end of their meeting, the
\nASEAN ministers also said they hoped to hold regular meetings
\nwith their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea as well
\nwith the U.S.-ASEAN business council.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a joint press conference, Moggie said ASEAN
\nwelcomed any help and assistance from other countries, such as
\nJapan, for the grouping's planned projects.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who opened the
\nmeeting earlier Friday, described it as timely, given the rapid
\nglobal development of knowledge-based economies that would impact
\non developing countries, including ASEAN.<\/p>\n
He said a knowledge-based economy could help ASEAN countries
\n\"leapfrog\" their development, but stressed that regional
\ncountries need to urgently train skilled workers to take
\nadvantage of the Information Age.<\/p>\n
\"The new economic playing field, characterized by the digital
\nrevolution, offers us in the ASEAN region a tremendous
\nopportunity to play the game according to our own rules,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, whose government is developing a 750-square
\nkilometer high-tech multimedia hub south of Kuala Lumpur, also
\nproposed the creation of an ASEAN Network Coordination Center
\nthat would monitor problems such as cyber-crime, pornography,
\n\"hate\" websites and computer hacking.<\/p>\n
\"It is imperative that adequate measures be taken to formulate
\na comprehensive and fool-proof regulatory and legislative
\nframework, particularly for the conduct of e-commerce
\nactivities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The idea for an ASEAN-level meeting was raised last year
\nduring an informal meeting of telecommunications ministers from
\nthe Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Mexico.<\/p>\n
About 70 participants attended the Kuala Lumpur meeting, which
\nwill include a visit on Saturday by the ministers to the
\nMultimedia Super Corridor hub.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, groups
\nBrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-takes-steps-to-get-more-wired-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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