Asunción, Agencia IP.- In an exclusive interview in Barcelona, President Santiago Peña spoke about the transformation strategy, the government’s digital vision, and the foundations the country already has to exercise leadership in this digital sector. «I am convinced of Paraguay’s potential to project an interconnected future,» he stated.
«Paraguay can play a leadership role (in technology). This leadership does not come from size; we are a large country geographically, but not as much as Brazil. The population is small. But in the world of technology, what matters is not size but agility to move. Paraguay is determined to be a leader because of its agility, political determination, and the strength of its people,» the president said in the interview with DPL News.
As an example of digitization, the President highlighted that mobile payments have surpassed traditional financial transactions in Paraguay.
«We changed the regulations and allowed telcos to conduct financial transactions, which sparked a revolution. Paraguay is the only country outside Africa with more mobile payment accounts than traditional banks. We could innovate from public policy.»
As part of the conditions for developing technological leadership, the country has consolidated strong macroeconomic stability – Peña affirmed – positioning Paraguay as a leader in sustainability with clean, renewable energy and human capital.
«Digital transformation does not come from hardware or buying computers. This is a cultural change. It’s a change in how we relate between the public sector and the citizen. That’s why we started implementing measures from the beginning of our administration, such as prohibiting a public institution from requesting a document that is in the possession of another institution or having documentation and driver’s licenses on the cell phone» readily available to citizens.
Paraguay: the epicenter of technology
Santiago Peña explained that data mobility is crucial and is looking for ways to make data flow faster in the country.
«We need an attractive regulatory environment because investments in technology are substantial and long-term. Paraguay can offer a great stable platform geographically in the heart of South America, in the middle of a neighborhood of almost 300 million inhabitants, a young population eager to connect and integrate into an increasingly hyper-connected world.»
Regarding its geographical position, he highlighted the waterway that currently allows the country to have the third-largest fleet of barges in the world and the bi-oceanic corridor that connects the Atlantic with the Pacific. «That geographical centrality can also be the epicenter of technology.»
Other favorable factors for the goal of Paraguay being a technological hub include political and economic stability, surplus clean energy, and hydroelectric technology. «That centrality,» he said, «allows Paraguay to connect with the Bella submarine fiber optic and the Humboldt project in Chile.»
«I firmly believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution. It is not the largest or strongest species that survives, but the one that adapts most quickly to changes. Today, we live in a world of change. Paraguay has a small population, but with a political system that allows for regulatory adjustments necessary for large investments,» he concluded.