Queensland politicians silent on ICT policies
Queensland politicians silent on ICT policies
The Australian Information Industry Association is unhappy with major poitical parties in Queensland failing to announce their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy prior to the Queensland Election this Saturday.
The AIIA wrote to all major political parties and asked them if they could respond to a series of questions in a couple of weeks. The questions included:
What policies do you intend to put in place to grow and develop the QLD ICT industry?
What measures will you take to facilitate the growth of ICT small and medium sized companies?
What do you intend to do to encourage and promote innovation in the QLD ICT industry?
AIIA Chief Executive Rob Durie said: "For a State that brands itself the "Smart State", Queensland politicians have let down the many thousands of Queenslanders employed in the high-tech industries.
"Apparently, none of the major parties believe that ICT is important to Queensland's future.
"This is a real blow to the many people employed in the ICT industry who base their vote on the ICT policies articulated during the election campaign."
The latest Queensland ICT industry profile (2001/02) estimated that there are about 3,773 businesses in the Queensland ICT industry. These businesses employed over 56,000 employees while the estimated total value of sales from Queensland ICT businesses was $14,620m, including $850m in exports.
The AIIA, however, has already received better cooperation from the Victorian State Government. They have released a practical guide to assist ICT companies wanting to do business with the government, in conjunction with Multimedia Victoria.
Durie said: "Winning business with government is a critical success factor for many ICT companies. Not only is the market significant, with the Victoria State Government spending approximately $750 million per annum on ICT goods and services this year - Government also provides a valuable, internationally recognised reference site for Australian companies wanting to export home grown know how."
"Working with Government - A Practical Guide" is a simple to read roadmap designed to outline key success factors and help understand government's expectations and drivers. The guide has been prepared in combination with a series of workshops run by AIIA with the support of the Victoria State Government. It can be accessed by AIIA members on the AIIA website: www.aiia.com.au
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