Online is not digital enough: minister at UN summit in Baku

Staff Correspondent

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said putting a service online does not by itself make it fully digital; the success of digital transformation should be measured by how easy, fast, transparent and accessible the service is for citizens—not by the number of technologies deployed.

He made the remarks while taking part in a Cross-Examination Dialogue at Session 8 of the UN Governance Innovation Summit: Advancing Future-Ready Institutions in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to an a2i Facebook post published at 3:42 pm Dhaka time on 6 November.

The minister said technology alone cannot change public administration; before rolling out new tools, governments need to understand the problem, cut unnecessary steps, clarify responsibilities and improve coordination. He stressed three capabilities: capable institutions, skilled people, and public trust. The post quoted him: “Technology will not force citizens to fit the government system; rather, the government system will fit the citizen.”

Representatives from Lesotho, Mauritania and Mexico also joined the discussion, moderated by Jeyhun Salmanov, deputy chairman of Azerbaijan’s SAPSSI.