Investing in ICT vital for GDP growth: Official

The National Business

INVESTING in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector will result in the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP), an official says.
Department of Information and Communication Technology secretary Steven Matainaho told The National during ICT summit in Port Moresby yesterday that the focus was on the National ICT policy 2008.
“There’s a need to refresh it,” he said. “At that time (2008), it was focused on telecommunications.
“Now, we need to start looking at other spaces.
“And this is why in this summit, we have 10 thematic areas.”
They are:

  • ACCESS, connectivity, and infrastructure and digital inclusion;
  • GOVERNANCE and project management;
  • DIGITAL government services;
  • FINANCIAL inclusion;
  • DIGITAL identification and data governance;
  • INNOVATION and entrepreneurship, SME, agriculture, mining and other innovations;
  • CRITICAL infrastructure;
  • DIGITAL skills and digital literacy;
  • MEDIA and broadcasting industry; and,
  • CYBERSAFETY and cybersecurity.

“We will try to aggregate where there’s a need to increase the use and the demand for ICT,” Matainaho said.
“The idea is that when we increase the use and the demand for it.
“It has a direct correlation to the GDP growth in the country.
“That is why our theme is focused on economic growth through digital transformation.”