BY JACINTHA JOLENE & GABRIEL LIHAN
KUCHING: Initiatives for digital economy have been successfully implemented and Sarawak is right on track to transform into a smart state.
Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi said in order to achieve the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 goals, Sarawak must double the size of the economy by 2030 at an average rate of 8 per cent per annum and would need to leapfrog several economic development phases.
The transformation of the economic structure in terms of optimising upstream and downstream activities and developing the services sector would need both digital and physical connectivity to be modernised and made more efficient.
“Digital transformation is one of the key enablers outlined in PCDS 2030. It will equip Sarawak with an improved business ecosystem with reduced inefficiencies in bureaucracy by adopting new technologies. These, in turn, will improve service delivery and efficiency of all the other economic sectors.
“Three companies namely SAINS, SACOFA and PPTEL have agreed to collaborate, by advancing hand-in-hand, towards the fulfilment of the State’s digital transformation to digitalise Sarawak,” he said in his speech during the signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU) by Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS), Sacofa Sdn Bhd (SACOFA) and PP Telecommunication Sdn Bhd (PPTEL), yesterday.
The signing was held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
The three parties have been a key player in the digital transformation of the state, from providing digital infrastructure, building connectivity to the rural and remote areas and developing as well as implementing application systems to enable the state’s services to be conveniently accessed by the public.
“Together, the three parties will jointly provide end-to-end services and solutions, including infrastructure, contents and applications to accelerate the fulfilment of the digital transformation initiatives set forth in PCDS 2030.
“The collaboration will effectively provide a complete eco-system required for the digitalisation of Sarawak.
“As a key vehicle for the state to accelerate its digital transformation, the consortium will act as the primary agent for Sarawak’s digitalisation and will work together with other service and technology providers and local vendors to bring about the state’s digital transformation.
“Telecommunication sectors in the state should be private-driven to move forward in this venture.
“These three companies, which are already strong and established in their own fields of expertise, and when they come together to collaborate and are committed to fulfilling the state’s vision, we can expect tremendous effectiveness and exciting outcome ahead of us,” he said.
Also present at the signing ceremony were Deputy Minister for Telecommunication Datuk Liwan Lagang, Sarawak Economic Planning Unit Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, chairman of SACOFA Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Haji Husain, chairman of SAINS Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam and chairman of PPTEL Abang Abdillah Izzarim.
