ICT Conference 27 December, 2009 -
The first annual information communications technology (ICT) conference, ‘Empowering Bhutan’ ended yesterday, without power.
Undaunted and speaking in virtual darkness, communications minister Lyonpo Nandalal Rai, told a gathering of about 200 ICT professionals, a few who attempted to illuminate the large room with their mobile phones, that his ministry would work out the issues brought forth during the conference - within a month. “We’re in a hurry to get things done,” said the minister, adding, “the time of lip service is over.”
This means that, within the next month, the department of information technology (DIT) will be reorganised to fulfill its “parent” role in the ICT sector. DIT will be in administrative control of all ICT personnel and resources, a move that has elicited some resistance from other government organisations.
The government hopes such a move will address shortcomings, like duplication of ICT services and mismatching of ICT skills and requirements, which is found in almost every government organisation causing over expenditure.
Although no ICT personnel objected to the centralisation move officially, concerns were raised whether DIT is capable of handling this extra responsibility. Communications secretary, Dasho Kinley Dorji, responded that the ministry believed it is, “that is why we’re taking up the responsibility.” The secretary added that the human resource policy would be clarified and explained to all ICT personnel within a month. ICT personnel are particularly concerned about DIT’s role in how it will award long term training programmes.
Other topics discussed during the second day of the conference included the use of open source software, e-governance, and development of the information technology enabled services sector.
By Gyalsten K Dorji
