OREANDA-NEWS. December 18, 2009. Prime Minister Vlad Filat participated in a seminar entitled "Moldova's electronic transformation via communication and information technologies (CIT): experience of Singapore", the government's press service has said.

The two-day seminar is organized by the World Bank in partnership with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, International Enterprise Singapore and the Moldovan Information Technologies and Communication Ministry.

Opening the seminar, World Bank country manager for Moldova Melanie Marlett said that the CIT have a huge potential of fostering development in Moldova and to this end competition in the IT sector and competitiveness of IT companies should be enhanced.

"Presently, the CIT services account for 10 per cent of Moldova's GDP. But this sector has significant unused resources and to fully use them it is essential to improve the regulation of the telecommunication industry in order to enhance competition and determine local specialists to remain and work in the country," Melanie Marlett said.

Filat thanked the event's organizers, saying that the CIT sector is a priority for Moldova's development.

"The government is going to manage the deep crisis that Moldova is facing and in this respect the sector of communication and information technologies is a very important one that may help develop the economy. We have experience in this sector, but certainly it cannot be compared with Singapore's. The government is fully opened for cooperation and we rely on our friends who wish to help Moldova make this sector more dynamic and overcome the existing problems," the prime minister said.

Filat said that in terms of costs, the CIT are a quick and efficient mechanism of upgrading the country and ensuring better performance in the public sector.

"The government is set to become a pro-active player in the creation of a better business environment," Filat said.

The prime minister expressed conviction that the seminar which brings together experts from both Moldova and Singapore will have useful results for Moldova.