Cyprus lags in digital performance, says minister

Although Cyprus has improved its digital performance, it still lags behind and moves at a much slower pace than other EU member states, Communications and Works Minister Tasos Mitsopoulos has said.
In order to achieve the broader goal to restructure the economy and create jobs the government has set six strategic objectives in its digital strategy, the minister said, addressing the 5th annual conference Infocom.Cy 2013, titled “Re-Power Cyprus: Digital Evolution and Business Continuity”.
Digital entrepreneurship and digital modernisation of the broader public sector by providing effective and efficient public electronic services, accessible to everybody, are the key objectives, Mitsopoulos pointed out.
He said that digital entrepreneurship is important to promote e-commerce and increase Cyprus’ business turnover, whereas digital modernisation of the public sector and provision of public electronic services will contribute to increasing the use of electronic means and broadband applications and services both by the citizens and the businesses.
It will also free up resources to invest in more productive activities, boost competitiveness and therefore increase the country’s GDP, he noted.
The provision of electronic services is an incentive for the market to invest in networks of high and ultra-high speeds and to this direction, the Minister said, the Department of Electronic Communications has announced a tender offer for the establishment and operation of the third electronic communications network in Cyprus.
He also said that the process to switch the licenses of CYTA and MTN to 4G licenses has been completed.