YANGON — Myanmar’s Union Parliament has approved a $93.8-million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea to help pay for the construction of a centralized e-government data center.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communication proposed the loan earlier this month. On Tuesday, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved it by a vote of 453 to nine.
The three-year project is slated to start in January under the direction of the Department of Information Technology and Cyber Security. At a total cost of $104.3 million, it calls for an e-Government Integrated Data Center in Naypyitaw and a backup center in Thanlyin Township near Yangon.
Myanmar will cover what the Korean loan does not from the national budget.
Once the project is completed, people will receive better and around-the-clock e-government services covering everything from online payments to visa applications, according to Transportation and Communication Minister U Thant Sin Maung.
Last week, four lawmakers debated the proposed project in Parliament and raised questions about cyber security.
On Tuesday, the minister discussed some of the security measures that would be taken at both centers. He added that a draft cyber law addressing social media, personal data, child protection and other issues would be ready for their consideration in 30 weeks.
