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Developing nations' Y2K readiness lags
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Developing nations' Y2K readiness lags
By David Legard
http://www.computerworld.com/home/news.nsf/all/9901284world
A number of developing countries are unprepared for the impact of the
year 2000 computer problem, and few have taken steps to safeguard
their computer systems, the World Bank said in a report released
earlier this week.
According to the World Bank assessment of the problem, countries in
East Asia, Latin America and the former Soviet Union could also be
seriously impacted. The report estimates that only 21 of 139 nations
that are considered developing nations have taken concrete steps to
address the problem.
The report found that the majority of developing countries,
including even the poorest nations, have computerized some essential
services -- power generation, telecommunications, food and fuel
distribution, and the provision of medical care. The report said that
a general failure of such systems could endanger the health, security
and economic well-being of people in the developing world.
"This is a global problem affecting not only industrial countries,
which are highly dependent on computers, but developing countries as
well," James Bond, director of the World Bank's Energy, Mining &
Telecommunications Department, noted in the report. Bond is also
coordinator of year 2000 compliance in the World Bank's existing
loan portfolio and of year 2000 grants to developing countries.
"While wealthy countries and large companies have the money and
skilled technicians needed to immunize computers and their operating
software from the millennium bug, many of our developing country
clients cannot muster the resources to tackle a problem that most
see as a vague and distant threat," he said.
Bond said that in a recent World Bank survey of year 2000
preparedness in 139 developing countries, only 54 had initiated
national policies; just 21 were taking concrete remedial steps to
safeguard their computing systems; and 33 reported high-to-medium
awareness of the problem but weren't currently taking action.
The report cautioned that the mere existence of a national year 2000
action plan shouldn't be taken to mean that countries will be fully
year 2000-compliant by the end of 1999, and the World Bank expects
year 2000 failures, according to Mohamed Muhsin, the World Bank's
CIO responsible for the institution's internal preparations.
In the report, he noted, "With less than a year left before Jan. 1,
2000, it's just not possible to fix all the world's Y2K problems in
time. Because of all the information systems and the billions of
programmable devices around the globe that need to be checked, and,
if need be, repaired, developing countries must focus their limited
resources on those sectors that are crucial for keeping the state
and the national economy working."
According to the World Bank, key systems that should be fixed
include: power generation and transmission; national financial
services; national communications; transportation; health care and
education; and food and fuel distribution.
The World Bank recently approved two loans for specific year 2000
preparations, and others are being readied. A $30 million loan was
approved for Argentina in December, followed last week by a $29
million loan to Sri Lanka. A $100 million loan for Malaysia is being
prepared for discussion by the World Bank's executive directors in
March, the World Bank said, and year 2000 components have been added
to loans being processed for Turkey and Ukraine.
-------------
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- Developing nations' Y2K readiness lags
A number of developing countries are unprepared for the impact of
the year 2000 computer problem, and few have taken steps to safeguard
their computer systems, the World Bank said in a report released
earlier this week.
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need to increase American workers' computer literacy. This is the
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