25th March 2023 (Day 16) of the Legislative Council 2023,

Session for Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications

YB Chong congratulates the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) for introducing the Brunei ICT Industry Competency Framework (BIICF) and highlights the need to develop a Digital Competency Framework to evaluate the citizens' digital literacy. YB Chong is also concerned about Brunei's absence from the Network Readiness Index (NRI) and requests information about the steps being taken by the Ministry to ensure that Brunei is listed under the NRI in the near future as it would serve as an important benchmark for tracking progress and comparing performance with other countries.

Response

Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications

The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) has implemented various initiatives to promote digital inclusivity and enhance ICT skills among citizens, such as the ICT Savviness Program and Digital Skills Training for senior citizens, single mothers, and village councils. The MTIC also conducts a survey on ICT literacy among households every three years, and the latest survey conducted in 2022 found that 54% of respondents have basic ICT skills, while 61% have standard skills. The MTIC is also working with the Ministry of Education to introduce ICT skills at an early stage of education. While Brunei is not currently listed under the NRI, the MTIC uses other international indices such as the ICT Development Index, e-Government Development Index, and Digital Skills Gap Index as benchmarks for measuring ICT development in Brunei. The MTIC is committed to improving data sharing among government agencies to increase the availability of open data and will continue to work with relevant agencies to explore international indices as benchmarks.