Artwork from the telecoms ministry’s launch of a digital platform last year. PHOTO SUPPLIED
The government has laid out a comprehensive digital strategy plan for the period of 2023-2027. The plan aims to strengthen work efficiency, improve public service delivery, and enhance national security and transparency through digital technology in the 4.0 industrial revolution.
The plan was formally laid out by the Ministry of Interior on June 13, aiming at capitalising on digital technology that is rapidly growing.
Interior Minister Sar Kheng, who signed the Prakas, emphasised the objectives of the plan, which aims to strengthen work efficiency, improve public service delivery, and enhance national security and transparency.
The plan includes several strategies: training human resources and increasing knowledge, building technological infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity and combating cybercrime, researching, developing, and innovating, enhancing the quality of work and public service delivery, and implementing technology governance.
Sek Socheat, co-founder of the Mindset Development Organisation, expressed support for the plan and its alignment with global trends, saying that the nation needs to legally manage digital users, maintain national security and social order, and train human resources according to social needs.
Socheat also highlighted the economic benefits of digital technology for the country, stating that digital technology enables people to raise their living standards.
“If we look at the benefits of digital technology, it helps our national society a lot, with the participation of relevant sides, especially citizens. Cyber technology enables them to benefit and raise their living standards,” he added.
To strengthen the plan, he advocated for the government to establish a law aimed at effectively managing technology, overseeing law enforcement, and providing training for Cambodian human resources in the digital sector, particularly cybersecurity.
Additionally, there should be a focus on enhancing digital literacy among the general public.
Chhort Bunthang, Director of Royal Academy of Cambodia’s Culture Education and Tourism Relations Department of International Relations Institute, emphasised the importance of digital utilisation in various sectors and said that it was the most essential and appropriate as the world is actively utilising digital in administrative works, business, finance, governance and others sectors, especially cybercrime.
“In my opinion, the levels of knowledge of digital in Cambodia are not very poor, but the number of people who are aware of digital is also not so many. Therefore, we have to do everything to increase the capacity of Cambodian human resources in this arena,” he added.
He continued that they need to invest in increasing understanding of digital in state and private institutions and for the general people so that relevant areas could cooperate well on digital. In addition, they need to increase the capacities of human resources to use modern tools and good internet services across the country.
