Govt officials stand in way of digitalisation
Government officials’ overbearing attitude stands in the way of seamless flow of foreign investment and materialising the dream of digitalisation, said a former senior secretary yesterday.
“The officials like to regulate the market more than facilitating it,” said Shyam Sundar Sikder, who had served as telecom and ICT secretaries separately, at a seminar on the fourth industrial revolution, organised by the telecom division on the sidelines of the Digital Mela.
The three-day digital exposition at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre wrapped up yesterday.
In most cases, the course of action that the bureaucrats suggest does not stand a chance of success, Sikder said.
“I found a lack of coordination between different government offices and projects, which eventually increased costs and went against the interests of the private sector.”
He went on to cite Walton as an example of a company that triumphed in spite of that.
“A single company like Walton is not enough for Bangladesh. We need to create a good number of companies like Walton that can contribute to digitalisation while creating jobs.”
Although the government has formed an authority for public-private partnership projects, most of the ministers are not of it, Sikder said.
He went on to let rip at Bangladesh’s foreign missions, saying the representatives have failed to brighten the country’s image abroad and bring in big investors or help local companies explore new export destinations.
Sikder also called upon educational institutions to offer courses that have demand in the digital era.
Md Shahidul Alam, director general of the spectrum management division of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, echoed the same as Sikder on university curriculum.
“A lack of coordination persists between the curriculum and the industries’ needs,” he said, adding that the curricula do not help industries get the desired skills.
Organisations like the World Economic Forum only took into account the machine-driven growth when setting the standards of the fourth industrial revolution, said Telecom Minister Mustafa Jabbar.
“The fact that many people will lose jobs due to the revolution has been ignored,” he added.
The fourth industrial revolution will help eradicate corruption and create a balanced society, said Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, managing director and chief executive officer of mobile operator Robi.
The government has already proved that mobile phones can deepen digitalisation, said Yeafesh Osman, science and technology minister.
“Anyone can ask why we have launched satellite and why we are going for 5G when 3G/4G is not available in many places. Here is my answer: we need to present dreams for the youths and that’s what we are doing,” Osman said.
About a hundred companies displayed their products and services, including the benefits of 5G mobile technology, at the fair.
The organisers also handed over crests to 14 companies and persons for their innovation and outstanding services.
