Procurement of printers and stationery also will be reduced.

Coming from the biggest spender on information and communications technology (ICT), such statements would surely send shivers down the spine of industry players. After all, the Government has been key in setting the pace of ICT adoption and advancement in the country in the name of progress and economic competitiveness. And ICT and electronic readiness are recognised as key drivers to transform the country into a knowledge economy.

Early feedback from the industry is that there should not be a total pulling of reins by the Government where ICT spending is concerned. Rather, this should be an inflection point to take stock of existing projects and those in the midst of being deployed and assess their impact and effectiveness so far. And from there, informed decisions should be made. As often said, technology should not be implemented for technology’s sake, but for the advantages that come from it.

Not too long ago, when Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili was newly elected as Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, he alluded to plans to create a clearer, more cohesive effort to realise the country’s goal of achieving k-economy. He was of the opinion that there are numerous action plans presented by a list of councils that seem to overlap and that the Ministry is making it a priority to fine-tune and place all existing initiatives aimed at propelling specific fields such as science, ICT and biotechnology under one umbrella so they can be collectively focused towards one k-economy framework.

The timing is such that now seems to be the best opportunity to do so. Let’s hope this does not just slip by.