Phnom Penh (FN), Feb. 2 – Cambodian Prime Minister congratulated Cambodia's verify.gov.kh document verification platform, developed by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC), on winning gold medal in ASEAN Digital Award 2024 in Singapore.

Samdech Thipadei posted on his social media on Friday (Feb. 2).

“The launch of the verify.gov.kh document verification platform aims to provide infrastructure and internet connectivity. It also aims to offer digital skills training for civil servants to promote and facilitate the development of a digital government.” wrote the premier.

Samdech Thipadei continued, “At the same time, technology stands as the fifth priority and a new dimension in the seventh-mandate policy. Building a digital government and fostering digital citizens take precedence in the fifth pentagon of the Pentagon Strategy-Phase I, which focuses on spearheading the digital revolution, with the government serving as a model and leader in embracing digital technology. This involves the digitalization of public services to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the state and to provide data-driven governance for the people and the private sector.”

The 4th ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN) is attended by Digital Ministers from ASEAN Member States (AMS); Timor-Leste; ASEAN partners including, the Repulbic of Korea, China, Japan, India, and the United States; as well as the International Telecommunications Union.

In this year's edition of the ASEAN Digital Awards, 125 top-performing digital products, services, and programs from the 10 ASEAN member states have been submitted for consideration. Through multiple rounds of elimination, verify.gov.kh, as the government's official platform for document verification, has been selected as Cambodia's submission for the Public Sector category and has made its way through to the final round. After the final presentation against other finalists, verify.gov.kh won the Gold Medal in the Public Sector Category, officially being recognized as the most distinguished digital solution for delivering public services in ASEAN for 2024.

Chea Vandeth, Minister of Post and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Digital Government Committee (DGC), delightfully remarked, "This is the first time a Cambodian solution has received the Gold Medal in the Public Sector category of the ASEAN Digital Awards. This award is testament to the fruitful labour of MPTC and DGC in developing digital solutions for better public service delivery, for our product has evidently received not only domestic recognition, but also regional recognition as the most outstanding public sector digital solution in ASEAN."

Minister Chea Vandeth continued, "This success demonstrates more clearly that verify.gov.kh's scope should be expanded not only within Cambodia, but also in the region - particularly as a collective mechanism for cross-border document verification among AMSs for verification of trade documents and other official documents, rendering paper originals and notarization of copies no longer necessary. Such collective action will bring ASEAN Member States another step closer to our collective aspiration of unleashing the potential of digital technologies, and MPTC is committed to contribute to this collective journey."

The ASEAN Digital Awards has six categories: (1) Public Sector, (2) Private Sector, (3) Digital Inclusivity, (4) Digital Content, (5) Digital Start-Up, and (6) Digital Innovation.

In the Public Sector category this year, Thailand's digital health data system won Silver, and Singapore's “Digital Birth and Death Certificates” initiative won Bronze.
=FRESH NEWS