This workshop is organized by the World Bank's Global ICT Department in collaboration with IDA Singapore, IE Singapore and the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications of Moldova. The workshop will provide a platform for engaged dialogue on the role of ICT in the public sector transformation agenda, and on how Singapore's success in e-Government via close collaboration with the private sector might translate to Moldova. There will be a series of knowledge-sharing sessions focusing on how ICT can play a strategic role in nation building, public administration, and service delivery to citizens and businesses.
 Oleg Petrov, Coordinator, e-Development TG, World Bank
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Coffee Break
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Session 4:Â Doing Business and ICT
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Session Chair: Sergiu Ciobanu, Deputy Minister of Economy of Moldova
3:15 PM – 5:00 PM
Singapore's Government-to-Business initiatives, Insights and Lessons Learned
Sebastian Foo, Executive Consultant, IDA International
Part 1: Starting and doing business in Singapore: the role of ICT
Part 2:Â How did we get there: lessons learned and critical success factors
Commentary by :
Svetlana Bagaudinova, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, Doing Business Project, World Bank, Alexandra Mincu, Private Sector Development Specialist, Doing Business Project, World Bank, Stefka Slavova, Senior Economist, Doing business Reform Unit,
Interviews with Juan Navas-Sabater, Lead ICT policy Specialist, on UN Radio, Russian-language Service Interview 1Â |Â Interview 2
The World Bank, in partnership with Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, and the Moldovan Ministry of Informational Technologies and Communications, is hosting a two-day seminar in Moldova entitled: Transforming Moldova with ICT: Sharing the Singapore Experience.
From left to right: Melanie Marlett, World Bank Moldova Country Manager, Vladimir Filat, Moldovan Prime-Minister and Alexandru Oleinic, Minister of Information Technologies and Communication addressing the audience on the importance of ICT sector for Moldova's economic growth
The December 15-16 event aims to build a common platform for engaged dialogue on the role of ICT in Moldova's public sector transformation agenda. It will use Singapore's successful experience in e-Government over the past 30 years to examine how collaboration with the private sector might translate to Moldova. The event includes a series of knowledge-sharing sessions focusing on how ICT can play a strategic role in nation building, public administration, and service delivery to citizens and businesses.
The workshop coincides with the regional launch of the World Bank's Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact report in nine ECA countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The report is a regular publication of the World Bank Group addressing the critical role that information and communication technology (ICT) plays in economic development. It features at-a-glance tables for 150 economies of the latest available data on ICT sector performance. The 2009 issue introduces performance measures for access, affordability and applications in government and business.
Juan Navas-Sabater, Lead ICT policy specialist, World Bank, highlighting Moldova's opportunities in the IT sector in an interview for Radio Free Europe
"ICT is an underlying priority for the implementation of Moldova's development and modernization agenda," highlighted Vladimir Filat, Prime-Minister of Moldova at the opening of the workshop. "It is a fast and cost-effective tool to modernize the country and ensure greater performance in the public sector with the ultimate goal to better address the needs of Moldova's citizens. Through improvements in the ICT infrastructure, the Government is striving to become a proactive player in building a better and less regulated business environment."
ICT currently represents 10 percent of Moldova's GDP. However, telecom services remain expensive, which limits penetration and use. Internet and mobile phone costs are also relatively expensive in Moldova compared to the region. The price basket for mobile and Internet services are respectively 60 percent and 80 percent higher than ECA averages. The World Bank is providing technical assistance to Moldova on ICT sector policy reform, regulatory capacity building and helping to identify ways to increase the efficiency and competition of the telecommunications sector in order to provide better and cheaper services to Moldovan citizens.
Singapore's experience in e-transformation has attracted an enormous interest from the Moldovan Government and private sector companies
"Moldova has the human potential to build a competitive IT industry," said Melanie Marlett, World Bank Moldova Country Manager during the workshop launch. "For that it needs to improve its business environment, reduce barriers for existing companies to grow and new companies to enter the market, ultimately creating jobs and retaining talent at home. Moldova already has success stories to share in the private sector and an ICT-enabled government transformation process is a strong case for the country."
  
 
 
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