President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said Maldives 2.0 will create more opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses operating in the information technology sector.
The President made the remarks during the second episode of the 'Rayyithunge Adu' series, in response to concerns raised by a person working in the IT sector.
A citizen who works in the IT sector, highlighted the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized IT businesses. He noted that a lack of opportunities in the Maldives has led Maldivians to establish companies and work outside the country.
In response to the concerns raised by the citizen, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said creating opportunities for Maldivians in the IT sector is an area to which he attaches importance. He said that as the Maldives moves towards digitalisation, opportunities will also be created for Maldivian small and medium-sized businesses operating in the IT sector under Maldives 2.0.
“Expanding SMEs is a policy. Expanding the IT sector in our economy is also a policy. If there are such obstacles, it is important that they are resolved,” President Muizzu said.
The Maldives 2.0 project, aimed at digitalising the country, was launched last year. Under the project, efforts are under way to digitally integrate the work of different government institutions.
The project is intended to bring transformative and reformative changes to the Maldives through coordinated efforts by government institutions in the digital sector. The government has said the project will be implemented over the next three years as part of its digital transformation policy.
The government says the project will enable it to operate in a more “smart” manner, provide easier access to services, reduce corruption and make governance more transparent through the use of technology.
As part of the reforms being implemented under the project, services will be designed so that people can access them with fewer clicks, replacing the need to navigate separate physical and digital queues.
The government also says the project will transform the public experience by creating a connected system through which people can access services, rather than having separate systems and processes for individual islands and services.
At the same time, the project will focus on addressing delays in accessing government services, providing faster services and prioritising outcomes. The government says it will also establish a transparent service-delivery system by replacing unclear and opaque procedures with processes that are easier for people to understand.