Economic Reporter :
Finance Minister AMA Muhith today called for further accelerating the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to achieve the country’s development goals.
“ICT is playing a vital role to alleviate poverty. We have to take benefits of ICT to achieve the goals of poverty alleviation and higher economic growth,” he said, addressing the inaugural ceremony of the two-day “First Session of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (APIS) Steering Committee” meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in the city.
In 2008, the finance minister said, Awami League announced the plan to build digital Bangladesh in the election manifesto. “After nine years, there has been a lot of progress in the ICT sector. With the advancement of the ICT sector, the development of the country will accelerate further,” he added.
Muhith expressed the hope that not only Bangladesh, but also other countries of the region will get benefits of APIS.
Among others, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division M Nazrul Islam, Secretary-in-Charge of Railways Ministry M Mofazzel Hossain and Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN ESCAP Economics and Financing Programme Hongjoo Hahm addressed the function.
In his speech, Palak expressed gratitude to the member states for initiating the APIS according to his proposal at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) meeting on ICT to connect the ICT backbone under the Asian Highways and Trans Asian Railways Network.
“Not only all of you supported my proposal but also you elected Bangladesh as the chair of the APIS Working Group,” he added.
To ensure seamless ICT-Driven communication network in Asia-Pacific region, he said, the working group of the member states of the UN-ESCAP has finalized a master plan.
“The first session of the steering committee of APIS will figure out the best avenue to implement this master plan in cooperation with the ESCAP member states along with the national, regional and international partners,” he added.
The state minister said the government has been working for the last eight and a half years to create a knowledge-based digital economy.
“Bangladesh has revolutionized in the mobile financial services and 30 million unbanked people are connected to this financial service,” he added.
Over 100 representatives from UN ESCAP member countries are participating in the steering committee session.
Bangladesh was elected president of the Working Group of APIS of UN ESCAP at the second meeting on the Working Group of APIS held in Guangzhou of China on August 29 and 30 in 2016.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith today called for further accelerating the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to achieve the country’s development goals.
“ICT is playing a vital role to alleviate poverty. We have to take benefits of ICT to achieve the goals of poverty alleviation and higher economic growth,” he said, addressing the inaugural ceremony of the two-day “First Session of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (APIS) Steering Committee” meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in the city.
In 2008, the finance minister said, Awami League announced the plan to build digital Bangladesh in the election manifesto. “After nine years, there has been a lot of progress in the ICT sector. With the advancement of the ICT sector, the development of the country will accelerate further,” he added.
Muhith expressed the hope that not only Bangladesh, but also other countries of the region will get benefits of APIS.
Among others, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division M Nazrul Islam, Secretary-in-Charge of Railways Ministry M Mofazzel Hossain and Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN ESCAP Economics and Financing Programme Hongjoo Hahm addressed the function.
In his speech, Palak expressed gratitude to the member states for initiating the APIS according to his proposal at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) meeting on ICT to connect the ICT backbone under the Asian Highways and Trans Asian Railways Network.
“Not only all of you supported my proposal but also you elected Bangladesh as the chair of the APIS Working Group,” he added.
To ensure seamless ICT-Driven communication network in Asia-Pacific region, he said, the working group of the member states of the UN-ESCAP has finalized a master plan.
“The first session of the steering committee of APIS will figure out the best avenue to implement this master plan in cooperation with the ESCAP member states along with the national, regional and international partners,” he added.
The state minister said the government has been working for the last eight and a half years to create a knowledge-based digital economy.
“Bangladesh has revolutionized in the mobile financial services and 30 million unbanked people are connected to this financial service,” he added.
Over 100 representatives from UN ESCAP member countries are participating in the steering committee session.
Bangladesh was elected president of the Working Group of APIS of UN ESCAP at the second meeting on the Working Group of APIS held in Guangzhou of China on August 29 and 30 in 2016.
