KOTA KINABALU: Key players in the information and communications tech­nology (ICT) from Brunei Darussalam-Indo­nesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) arrived in Cagayan De Oro, Mindanao, yester­day for the 5th BIMP-EAGA Working Group on ICT meeting.The meeting aims to review the ICT action plan for EAGA under the 2006-2010 BIMP-EAGA Roadmap Action Plan and discuss future direction for ICT in EAGA in coming years.

A statement issued by the Mindanao Economic Deve­lop­­ment Council (Medco) said the working group will re-prioritise and agree on projects that show great potential and significant outcome by September 2010 in time for the next BIMP-EAGA Senior Officials and Ministerial Meeting and the 7th BIMP-EAGA Summit.

The working group will look at current project accomplishments vis-à-vis its target outputs, possible completion by October 2010 as well as availability of financial and technical resources and the projects’ impact towards achieving EAGA’s goal of increasing trade, investment and tourism.

The working group will look into previous assessments of the existing and current opportunities of the sub-region in the sector and BIMP-EAGA Leaders’ directives during the recent 6th BIMP-EAGA Summit in Thailand and the previous senior officials and minis­terial meetings in planning for an ICT development framework and priorities for the next five years.

“The world is becoming increasingly inter-connec­ted and ICT, being an enabler of development, will serve to increase the business rate and socio-economic growth across the sub-region,” said Usec Virgilio Leyretana, Medco chairman.

Addressing digital divide is an important agenda not only in mainstream ICT but as a key development strategy in the sub-region, he said. —Bernama

Among the agenda the ICT working group will review are improvement of telecommunications infra­structure; ICT facilities and services in EAGA; tariff rationalisation in border areas; establishment of a secured ICT network in BIMP-EAGA; and develop­ment of local content (database) related to BIMP-EAGA on all sectors.

The group will also look into promotion of the use of Wireless Technology Net­works such as Wi-Fi and Wi-Max and a BIMP-EAGA Virtual Science and Techno­logy Park Business Centre.

The meeting will be chaired by Brunei Darus­salam, headed by the ICT Working Group Chairman, Pengiran Haji Md Zain, Director of Communi-cations and Chief Executive of Authority for Info-Com­munications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam.

Indonesia will be led by Bertiana Sari, Director of Bilateral Affairs, Directo­rate of Posts and Telecom­munications in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Malaysia by Farhana Shabbdin, Assistant Secre­tary, Ministry of Informa­tion, Communi­cations and Culture; and Philippines by Director Edgardo Celorico of the National Telecom­munications Commission.

After the working group meeting, there will be a two-day Convergence 2009, a roadshow on the business process outsourcing industries to be spearheaded by the Commission on ICT. —Bernama