VIENTIANE, LAOS – Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT) in collaboration with Microsoft hosting Government Solution day event under the theme Empowering Government. The event was chaired by H.E. Dr.Thansamay Kommasith, Minister of MPT, and attended by key government officials and partners from public and private sectors, the event has demonstrated how the government can leverage technology to digitally transform and support social and economic development. The conference was co-chaired by Michelle Simmons, General Manager, Southeast Asia New Markets, Microsoft Asia Pacific.
The initiative is in line with the 8th National Social and Economic Plan, ICT Vision 2030, MPT 5 years strategic ICT development plan, as well as Microsoft’s National Empowerment Plan, which aims to advance the adoption of emerging ICT for sustainable development, to have smart government and generate new business development opportunities, to Industrialize and modernize ICT as tools to drive sustainable social and economic development, be centre for regional and international integration and fostering people engagement.
“Embracing trusted technology, particularly the power of emerging ICT, will be key to enabling Laos’ growing economy to take a giant leap forward, propelling our nation into digital enable community and economy,” said H.E. Dr. Thansamay Kommasith, Minister of Post and Telecommunications of Lao PDR. he further informed that “Government Solution Day affirms our vision to drive inclusive growth, to have smart government, and transforming the way both public and private sectors operate – not only by ensuring accessibility of tools, but also by establishing the right processes and building the digital skills of our citizens.”
Speaking at the Government Solution Day event, Vivek Puthucode, General Manager, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia Pacific, said: “Today, the benefits of the digital economy remains out of reach for many in emerging markets despite the enormous untapped opportunities across various industry sectors. Our approach is to work closely with governments and public sector agencies to support them in overcoming challenges and building more cloud-enabling environments to accelerate their competitiveness, productivity and modernization of operations through trusted technology.”
With the introduction of Microsoft Office 365 business productivity services in Laos, Microsoft also aims to set in motion a reinvention of productivity in enterprises across the nation, transforming employee collaboration and customer engagement through the power of the cloud.
“Besides having access to the right tools, people must also know how to use them,” said Michelle Simmons, General Manager, Southeast Asia New Markets, Microsoft Asia Pacific. “Looking ahead, what will be critical for Laos to thrive is digital literacy. We are working with the government to not only deliver educational programs, but also to support the educators themselves with the right resources to impart science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills to local youth, preparing them for jobs of the future.”
In middle of this year Ministry of Post and Telecommunications had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft and Ministry of Education and Sport in Laos to develop a youth online learning platform to leverage technology for education, covering a range of programs that will support the development of 21st century skills and employability of students.
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