The Bhutanese Leading the way.
During monthly meet-the-press conducted questions were raised by media houses about the 21st century Economic Roadmap preparation by the government.
Lyonchhoen Dr Lotay Tshering said that the economic roadmap cannot be bluntly decided within a few weeks’ time and if at all such had been done, it would rather account as a failure than a plan.
Recalling His Majesty’s parlance on 21st Century road map, the PM paraphrased that, it is not just about building infrastructures or laying down plans.
The government’s broad framework in this light is to develop the economy using wireless and technological prowess as time moves on, looking at how can they can maneuver these opportunities to help even the most rural areas of society to become independent and robust in terms of 21st century digital literacy.
The Lyonchhoen said that executive notes have already been sent to experts within the country through calls and meetings and he claimed to have had a lot of discussions on it.
“Lot of thinking and planning is required and planning must have started since long enough, now it has given more impetus after His Majesty’s clear deliberation and it will go on for generations to come. It should be ingrained in our way of life. Economic roadmap should not be a process which one starts and ends, and repeat again” added Lyonchhoen.
In terms of mindset adaptation, Lyonchhoen clarified with flagship plan examples of ICT-ization of schools, of which the aim is to have formal digital literacy, in about 3 to 4 years of time.
Envisioning primary schoolers talking about computer programming and coding as they are playing.
For instance, he added, kids playing darts or khuru might develop softwares, maybe finding another way to play the game through the ICT learning curve. That might enable them to solve problems, maybe even find a way to make money out of such ideas, ultimately generating digital economic growth.
ICT-ization of schools will enable every school to have IT labs, about 5 to 10 hours of IT exposure for the students, and to facilitate that MoIC has reportedly identified about 100 teachers and the foreign firm which will provide the training this winter.
In line with that, for the 21st century roadmap, the Digital Drukyul flagship program will register every Bhutanese to have a digital identity, which will further ease access in a lot of areas.
The Lyonchhoen said that everyone’s cooperation and support is necessary to make it a success.
Electronic Patient Information System (ePIS) and Bhutan Integrated Taxation System are upcoming as per PM’s report.
In the second round the government has lined-up a project for Single Window System, so that all sectors are digitalised.
He stated, “If this has to be the roadmap, we must change the way we do things. Physical note taking has to change. On one end we talk about digitalising, on the other the Ministry of Finance still gives money for messengers. System should be cleaned. We cannot do it overnight. The budget for wireless operations and coding for messengers is on the verge. This way we gradually clean up from one end thus embarking on to digitalization”.
The PM reinstated that, the media houses should take active part in asking questions in the upcoming Meet the Press sessions so that, the government will be subconsciously reminded of these things.
