ICT achievements and goals mulled in Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's achievements and future goals in the Communications and Information Technologies sector in nine months of 2013 have been discussed in a board meeting of the ICT Ministry, the ICT ministry's official website said.
ICT Minister Ali Abbasov spoke about the tasks set for this period, underlining the dynamic development and growth rate of non-oil sector due to successful economic reforms carried out in the field of ICT in Azerbaijan.
"The World Economic Forum's report "Global Information Technology 2013" Azerbaijan ranked Azerbaijan 56th improving its last year's results by five positions on the Networked Readiness Index among 144 countries of the world," he emphasized.
According to the report, Azerbaijan ranks the eight in "Government's success in supporting ICT", ninth for "The importance of ICT in future outlook of the Government", and 20th in "Internet access".
A report on the work done in the field in the none-month period in Azerbaijan showed the 10.5 percent growth of the ICT sector as compared to the same period of the last year.
Abbasov also spoke about future targets.
Speaking about the UN General Assembly resolutions supporting the initiative of Azerbaijan on establishment of the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance (EuraCA) and the Trans-Eurasia Information Superhighway (TASIM), Abbasov gave relevant instructions to accelerate the execution of the Action Plan of the ICT year in the country as well as the expansion of digital TV broadcasting, management and protection of frequency resources, to increase the volume of regulation, licensing, and strengthening of information security.
Abbasov also instructed increasing and accelerating e-services, introduction of broadband Internet services throughout the country, improving the quality of services, enhancing the preparations for conference and exhibition Bakutel, increasing the number of unconventional services in the postal sector, and exploring opportunities to connect this area to the system of micro-credit.
He tasked the ministry's associations and enterprises to carry out new reforms on good governance arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the market economy, and to improve the social well-being of employees, to keep the focus on training of highly qualified personnel and to eliminate existing shortages and shortcomings.