ACS: NSW budget lacks ICT jobs incentives

Australian Computer Society (ACS) has scolded the NSW Government, criticising its recent budget for a lack of incentives to attract ICT investment in NSW as a means of creating jobs and improving the economic prosperity for the state.

ACS Chairman, Kumar Parakala said the budget’s digital education revolution rollout, preference to local suppliers for NSW Government procurement and the development of e-Government services would deliver some benefits to the ICT sector in NSW.

“However, given the essential nature of ICT to business growth and the fact that ICT underpins productivity, innovation and development across all industry sectors, the ACS would have liked to have seen greater emphasis placed on ICT, by way of improved incentives to attract ICT investment to NSW and to boost the state’s ICT sector”, Parakala said in a statement.

Anthony Wong, chairman of the ACS NSW Board said ICT needed to be recognised by the NSW Government as a powerhouse of the state’s economy.

“There are currently 200,000 people employed in the ICT sector in NSW, which provides almost six percent of employment for the state and we are expecting this figure to continue to grow,” he said in a statement. “We would like to see increased effort devoted to incentives to attract ICT investment and business to NSW. In these tough financial times, there is a need to increase private sector development and to improve our ICT service capabilities to better NSW’s position on the global stage.”

Wong said the NSW Government needed to make a concerted effort to implement professional development strategies that encompass career development, retraining, recruitment and retention programs, and which will help the government to improve the way it recognises, values and nurtures the essential ICT skills needed by all government departments.

“This was a key aspect of the Federal Government’s Gershon Review and one which, if adopted by the NSW Government, will improve its ICT skills, capabilities and professionalism,” he said. “The ACS calls on the NSW Government to consult extensively with industry on this review process and we look forward to working with the Government on implementing its outcomes.”