PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Vongsey Vissoth said that the kingdom considers digital technology as a vehicle to leapfrog modernization, development, and increasing added value in the economy and society.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Digital Government Forum 2025, Vissoth said that in recent years, digital technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), has evolved rapidly and penetrated all layers of the socio-economy.
"It has brought about increased efficiency, quality, and productivity in different sectors as well as significant changes in the way we live, work, trade, and the way we communicate with each other," he said.
Vissoth said technology has brought both opportunities and risks, and the adoption of digital technology has become a defining factor in determining the competitive advantage and even the destiny of nations, institutions, enterprises and individuals.
"For Cambodia and developing countries in general, on the one hand, technology can be considered a vehicle to leapfrog modernization, development, and increasing added value in their economy and society, especially improving the livelihood of citizens," he said.
"On the other hand, if the adoption of technology is not timely or in the wrong direction or not competitive, or not meeting current needs, the development gap will continue to widen, both between countries and between peoples," he added.
He said the government has focused on increasing capital investment and reorienting priority activities to accelerate and effectively build a digital ecosystem, as well as addressing new challenges related to the rapid development of digital technologies, especially AI and the negative use of technology, such as cybercrime and online scams.
Speaking at the forum, Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth said Cambodia will launch the 5th generation mobile phone service system in early 2026.
He said that the Southeast Asian country currently has a coverage rate of fourth generation mobile phone services of up to 94.7 percent of the total population. - Xinhua
