Asia not ready for Y2K bug

Asia not ready for Y2K bug

TOKYO (Reuters): Asia Pacific nations and regions are falling behind schedule in preparations to deal with the year 2000 computer millennium bug, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) said in a report on Tuesday.

The report was based on a survey of public and private sectors in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand conducted in August and September.

The report said that the survey showed that preparations have significantly progressed compared with a similar survey taken in February, but "steps to update infrastructure and complete other Y2K measures appear to be behind schedule in many cases."

The survey found that financial and utility sectors were best prepared to deal with millennium computer problems, while hospitals, other medical facilities and unlisted private firms were the least prepared.

An increasing number of financial firms were considering suspending operations over the New Year holiday, while some airline companies are considering canceling or rescheduling flights during the date changeover, the report said.