Asia Reportedly Making Progress On Y2K Issues

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Asia Reportedly Making Progress On Y2K Issues

Updated 7:50 AM ET September 28, 1999

TOKYO (Reuters) - Delegates to an Asian conference on the millennium bug said Tuesday the region was making progress in preparing for Y2K issues despite recent criticisms that it is falling behind in its battle against the glitch.

"The delegates agreed that the objectives set for the conference have been well attained," said a joint statement released at the end of the two-day U.N.-sponsored conference.

The delegates from 22 Asian governments gathered in Tokyo to attend the meeting and exchange information on their country's progress on the Y2K issue as well as discuss ways to coordinate efforts in case of emergencies.

Bruce McConnell of the International Y2K Cooperation Center (IYCC), a clearinghouse backed by the United Nations and funded by the World Bank, said there was in fact a "misunderstanding" about how prepared Asian nations were for the millennium bug.

"There seems to be an information lag. In fact every Asian country sees the Y2K deadline approaching. This is focusing national efforts," McConnell, director of IYCC, told a news conference.

"Short-term infrastructure disruptions will be local and limited, and countries are getting ready to respond," he said.

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) said in a recent report that Asia Pacific was falling behind schedule in preparations to deal with the year 2000 computer millennium bug, which may cause computers may read 00 as 1900 instead of 2000.

The report was based on a survey of public and private sectors in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand conducted in August and September.

Commenting on individual sectors, McConnell said the health sector was lagging, but that was a universal phenomenon and that it did not take the delegates by surprise.

"As for other sectors, preparations are well advanced," he said.

China, said to be one of the Asian countries most vulnerable to the bug, did not attend the meeting.

But organizers said that was because China was in the midst of a major Y2K audit program and that they were in fact encouraged by news that a cabinet-level task force was formed within the Chinese government.

The delegates pledged to continue updating their progress reports and to share information including ways to maintain direct sector-to-sector contact, according to the statement.

The delegates also agreed to participate in IYCC's Global Status Watch, which will monitor and publicize the status of critical national infrastructure during and after the date changes.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), September 28, 1999


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