DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KAMIKAMICA’S SPEECH AT THE 23RD APT POLICY AND REGULATORY FORUM WELCOME DINNER

21/06/2023


The Minister for Information, Communications and Technology for Papua New Guinea, Honourable Timothy Masiu,
The Permanent Secretary for Communications, Mr. Shaheen Ali,
Mr Masanori Kondo, Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity,
Your Excellencies,
Chair of the PRF Mr. Ilyas Ahmed,
Vice-Chairs Ms. Thasawan Samorwong and Mr. Brian Winji,
Distinguished Delegates of the PRF-23,

Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to our beautiful island home -- Fiji.
I am pleased to host the Welcome Dinner of the 23rd Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Policy and Regulatory Forum as the Minister for Communications, of the Republic of Fiji Islands.

At this gathering, I would like to acknowledge everyone whose tremendous work made today’s deliberations possible.

Your Excellencies,
This high-level forum will provide us a window of opportunity to deliberate on key ICT issues and mutual ground to collaborate.
As members of this Forum, it is imperative that we exchange knowledge on the best practices, experiences, views and voices from every part of the region.

Your Excellencies,
We are in the final year of the implementation period of the Strategic Plan of the APT for 2021-2023 – and I am eager to hear your strategies of accelerating digital transformation of your own economies and society over the remaining days of our time together.

Strategies which call for optimising the benefits of Telecommunication and ICT, whilst coping with the challenges of its rapidly evolving environment.

Your Excellencies,
Digital transformation has proved to be the break in the clouds of the pandemic -- for many, it has advanced economies and for that reason our deliberations should closely consider the far-reaching and long-lasting implications of greater digital technology adoption. This is where our shared voice and incumbency as policy, and decision makers, in closing the digital gap must be shared broadly.

Your Excellencies,
I call upon this Forum to reaffirm the pledges and commitments of the Singapore Statement of the Asia-Pacific ICT Ministers on “Co-creating a connected digital future in the Asia-Pacific” – and you will see this through the featured thematic sessions on topics that are of interest to the region.
We will continue to keep momentum for high-level exchanges tomorrow to facilitate intra-regional collaboration on policy and regulatory issues as required.

As a host country, we want this high-level forum to put into effect specific objectives which underscores the:
 
  • Recent best practices of digital Government, furthering smart nations and islands through policy strategies and approaches that allow Governments, businesses, and citizens to leverage digital transformation.
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  • Engage in dialogue to identify the challenges, opportunities and possible way forward regarding digital connectivity and digital transformation for a sustainable digital society.
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  • Share the developments of 5G for transformation of lives for a better tomorrow, and; Share best practices and focus on the challenges and prospects of inclusive and universal national digital policies, strategies, practices and activities to connect the unconnected, to name a few.
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Your Excellencies,
Let us continue to strengthen our collective voice for the Asia-Pacific region – and it is through our deep commitment and innovative efforts that we will continue to improve and meet every challenge successfully as we move forward in the future.

This evening has been prepared in honor of all of you, as an expression of our gratitude for all of your highly valued contributions to date and as a milestone for us to create a new vision that will guide us in our future together.
I hope you can take some time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of our island home during your stay. Please allow me to conclude by sincerely thanking all of you once again for your many efforts and commitment.
Thank you and Vinaka Vakalevu.