Biometric passports will go into series production Jan.2011

The year 2010 is crucial to the sustainable development of the Information and Communication Technology, a year during which the shift to the biometric passports will be completed, digital television will be launched, and broadband access to the Internet will be vastly extended, stated ICT Minister Alexandru Oleinic at a press conference on Monday, Info-Prim Neo reports. The relaxation of visa requirements for the Moldovan citizens depends greatly on the introduction of biometric passports. The European Union has already offered Moldova a €2m grant for biometric reading equipment, which is set to be purchased this year. Biometric passports will go into series production starting from January 2011. Their price hasn't been determined yet, but the minister promised to look for a solution so that it “doesn't bite the citizens”. Speaking about digital television, Oleinic said the ministry planned to make 24 Moldovan channels available nationwide through digital technology by 2015. “This transition will bring about significant benefits to the economy of the country as well as to its citizens by affording them more access to information. Today we have 4 channels (with national coverage), by 2011 we'll have 8, and by 2015 we'll have 24”, he stated. Another advancement, Oleinic added, is the liberalization of the transborder traffic, will will mace Internet servcies betetr and cheaper. The ICT sector accounts today for 9 percent of Moldova's GDP.