The Public Accounts Committee recommends the Government Technology Agency or the GovTech Agency to review and improve the institutional and regulatory framework for cyber security. According to the Committee, this will help in ensuring safe, secure and resilient cyberspace in the country. The Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament presented the Performance Audit report on the Preparedness of Cyber Security in the joint sitting of the Parliament today.
During the session, the committee presented five recommendations.
The recommendations include the need for the GovTech Agency to expand the role of existing regulators, implement the draft National Cyber Security Strategy, expedite the identification and protection of Critical Information Infrastructures, strengthen the legal framework and enforcement of mechanisms for data privacy and protection.
Although all the Members of Parliament were in favour of all the recommendations, some members made two other recommendations.
It was about giving adequate human resources to the GovTech Agency and keeping official data secured within the country by abstaining from the use of counterfeit software for official works.
“According to the committee’s finding, the GovTech Agency has been facing challenges like not having adequate skilled officials. Hence, the government should provide enough human resources,” said Kinley Wangchuk, Athang-Thedtsho MP.
“When I talked with my friends who studied technology, they admitted that we have less number of people who have the expertise in the cyber security. Hence, if we do put in the recommendations as to having adequate human resources with expertise, it will help us in the future,” said Dorjee Wangmo, Sombaykha MP.
“All the government agencies keep their data in Google Workspace and exchange documents through it which can be accessed by foreign countries. If we have a separate recommendation on how to secure the data within the country, it will be safer as data privacy can be maintained,” said Karma Dorji, Industry, Commerce and Employment Minister.
The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee clarified that there is no need for separate recommendations as the committee’s recommendation on implementing the draft National Cyber Security Strategy covers all these issues.
“We have recommended the use of the National Cyber Security Strategy in this National Cyber Security Strategy, the challenges of human resources, data security, and rules to protect the data and documents are taken into consideration. Hence, we did not find the need to include Google Workspace and human resources as a separate recommendation,” said Gyambo Tshering, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.
After a lengthy discussion, most of the Members of Parliament did not support the two recommendations through a show of hand.
The Joint Sitting of the Parliament adopted seven recommendations on the Performance Audit Report on the Irrigation Systems and five recommendations for the preparedness of cyber security presented by the committee. All 67 members present in the sitting voted in favour of all the recommendations.
Sonam Yuden and Karma Wangdi
Edited by Tshering Zam
