Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - CamDX clinches Future of Gov’t Award

CamDX clinches Future of Gov’t Award

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A congratulatory message for the CamDX team, for clinching the Future of Government Award for Open Source Adaptation of the Year. PHOTO SUPPLIED

CamDX clinches Future of Gov’t Award

The finance ministry’s Cambodia Data Exchange (CamDX) platform has been honoured as the 2022 Open Source Adaptation of the Year by the Future of Government Awards, which is a collaborative effort between Amazon Web Services (AWS), the UN Development Program (UNDP), and Apolitical.

Launched on June 15, 2020 and based on the model of Estonia’s X-Road, the CamDX system is a decentralised but unified data-exchange layer between information systems that provides a standardised and secure way to produce and consume services, according to its website.

The more than two-year-old platform on November 24 won Cambodia the award for the first time, the Ministry of Economy and Finance stressed in a statement issued on December 5, which was 11 days later.

The statement said the awards encourage government digital transformation, including open source adaptation in technology-oriented systems, towards the transparent and effective provision of public services; livelihood and quality of life improvements; and other societal benefits.

“Cambodia’s CamDX platform was among 10 shortlisted entries, from eight countries, namely Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Pakistan, Guinea-Bissau, Argentina, the Philippines and the Republic of Benin,” the ministry said.

“The entries were examined by panel of 17 judges from different countries, with many years of experience in government and technology.

“Winning in the face of the rigorous assessment is a great source of pride for Cambodia, especially on its journey to embrace digital technology, as a priority on the national development agenda, through the introduction of the Cambodia Digital Economy and Society Policy Framework 2021-2035 and the Cambodia Digital Government Policy 2022-2035,” it added.

The statement said the CamDX platform, which was developed and launched by the Techo Startup Center (TSC) under the ministry, has built a “vibrant” ecosystem that encompasses IT systems of participating institutions and government agencies, and enables data exchanges between them, while allowing each body to retain full ownership of its respective systems and exchanged data.

Without elaborating, it noted that private sector actors have recently been brought aboard as partners.

Speaking to The Post on December 6, Cambodia Digital Tech Association (CDTA) president Chhin Ken hailed CamDX’s victory as a “great honour” for Cambodia, saying that the platform has made major contribution to the Kingdom’s integration into all manner of global networks.

CamDX is also helping propel the Cambodian economy into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, amid a rapid acceleration in technological adoption in the Kingdom, he said, adding that the platform has made a range of public-private matters significantly easier, faster and more transparent.

“This award is a source of pride for Cambodia, which it can use to show the world the advances it has made towards improving and increasing the adoption of digital systems,” Ken said, adding that prior to CamDX, looking up business data, paying taxes and a host of other tasks required face-to-face interaction.

Prime Minister Hun Sen on December 5 congratulated the finance ministries and other relevant institutions for the CamDX platform’s coronation as 2022’s Open Source Adaptation of the Year, which he noted was among 150 entries from 52 countries and territories.

“This award is a new source of pride for Cambodia on the international stage and recognition that the Kingdom has seized the opportunity and successfully used digital technologies, especially the CamDX platform, to assist in administrative reforms and modernisation,” the premier said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

“Under the auspices of peace, Cambodia has not only had the opportunity to build a lot of physical infrastructure, but also move towards a more vibrant and inclusive digital economy and society.

“In this regard, I urge all government ministries and institutions to encourage the private sector to join in and maximise the benefits of the CamDX platform and related technologies,” he added.

The finance ministry’s statement shared that, as of November 29, the CamDX platform has handled 13.06 million operations since its launch, compared to the 4.76 million registered in the first year alone.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry using ChatGPT AI to ‘ease workload’; Khmer version planned

    The Digital Government Committee is planning to make a Khmer language version of popular artificial intelligence (AI) technology ChatGPT available to the public in the near future, following extensive testing. On March 9, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications revealed that it has been using the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to