ASEAN takes steps to get 'more wired'

ASEAN takes steps to get 'more wired'

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Southeast Asian telecommunications
ministers agreed late last week on key measures to be taken to
get the region "more wired" and interconnected to help boost
investments and economic growth.

The ASEAN ministers, who held their first-ever annual meeting
in Kuala Lumpur, agreed Friday to set up working groups to
identify projects to develop the region's telecommunications and
information technology sectors.

They also signed an agreement stating the grouping's resolve
to cooperate and collaborate on telecommunications issues, and
launched the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) which
harmonizes test and certification procedures for the sale of
telecom equipment in ASEAN markets.

Malaysia's telecommunications minister, Leo Moggie, who
chaired the meeting, said the decisions taken by the ministers
would help ensure that ASEAN would not "be left behind" in the
fast pace of the information era.

The ministers agreed to improve regional information
infrastructure, narrow the digital divide among ASEAN countries,
upgrade training of skilled workers, develop local Internet
content, promote e-commerce, and step up intra-ASEAN
telecommunications investments.

They also agreed to formulate regulatory policies, remove
barriers that block e-commerce, and invited the private sector
for dialogue through the formation of an ASEAN telecommunications
business forum.

In a joint statement issued at the end of their meeting, the
ASEAN ministers also said they hoped to hold regular meetings
with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea as well
with the U.S.-ASEAN business council.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Moggie said ASEAN
welcomed any help and assistance from other countries, such as
Japan, for the grouping's planned projects.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who opened the
meeting earlier Friday, described it as timely, given the rapid
global development of knowledge-based economies that would impact
on developing countries, including ASEAN.

He said a knowledge-based economy could help ASEAN countries
"leapfrog" their development, but stressed that regional
countries need to urgently train skilled workers to take
advantage of the Information Age.

"The new economic playing field, characterized by the digital
revolution, offers us in the ASEAN region a tremendous
opportunity to play the game according to our own rules," he
said.

Mahathir, whose government is developing a 750-square
kilometer high-tech multimedia hub south of Kuala Lumpur, also
proposed the creation of an ASEAN Network Coordination Center
that would monitor problems such as cyber-crime, pornography,
"hate" websites and computer hacking.

"It is imperative that adequate measures be taken to formulate
a comprehensive and fool-proof regulatory and legislative
framework, particularly for the conduct of e-commerce
activities," he said.

The idea for an ASEAN-level meeting was raised last year
during an informal meeting of telecommunications ministers from
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Mexico.

About 70 participants attended the Kuala Lumpur meeting, which
will include a visit on Saturday by the ministers to the
Multimedia Super Corridor hub.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, groups
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.