SAM899 G5 returning to JBA from Sitka, Alaska
Arrived on 0617
From 0618
Accidental discovery of sunken ship near Sitka reveals surprising history
https://alaskapublic.org/2024/06/18/accidental-discovery-of-sunken-ship-near-sitka-reveals-surprising-history/
C101 US Coast Guard G5 from Eglin AFB to Reagan National
This was at Qatar a few days ago
>>21060608 pb
SAM206 G5 inbound to JBA from Brussels Intl depart
Japan lays out strategy to tackle $33bn digital trade deficit
Japan has sounded the alarm about waning digital competitiveness and an outflow of wealth, as the government's latest policy plan calls for replacing aging systems and training talent in a bid to catch up.
The fiscal 2024 edition of the Priority Policy Program for Realizing Digital Society, released Friday, is the first to mention Japan's "digital deficit," which has been swelling with mounting fees for software licensing, cloud storage and online advertising. Balance of payments data from the Bank of Japan shows the deficit for digital-related services more than doubling since 2015 to 5.35 trillion yen ($33.7 billion) last year. This was a factor in Japan's overall balance of payments for services worsening even as foreign tourism rebounds.
Demand for digital services continues to expand with developments like broader adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Much of this need is met by U.S. tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft, draining money out of Japan.
These companies are difficult to compete with, and reducing dependence on them is no easy task. Japan's challenges include a lack of progress on creating its own products and services that add value, as well as on organizational change at companies.
The new policy program states that corporate Japan "needs to show results in improving productivity and creating new businesses."
Speaking with reporters Friday, Digital. Transformation Minister Taro Kono acknowledged that Japan's digital and IT industries still have some way to go to become more competitive. It's a matter of how many of the systems and programs that everyone uses are made in Japan," he said.
To lay the groundwork for building up the digital industry, the plan calls for establishing a framework to promote data integration, as well as training the talent needed for the digital shift.
Aging systems are holding back many companies from digitalization. Japan faces what has been dubbed the "2025 digital cliff," as personnel with the know-how to work with aging systems retire. The industry ministry estimates this could cause 12 trillion yen in economic losses a year due to factors such as a heightened risk of system failures.
The policy urges the creation of a cross-agency group to outline the challenges and ways to address them by June 2025. The government will promote the use of cloud technology, which is relatively affordable and can adapt readily to changes in the business environment.
The plan's objectives also include training more experts on cybersecurity, an increasingly important field as cyberattacks become more frequent.
Japan aims to have 50,000 nationally certified information security specialists by fiscal 2030, up from around 20,000 as of April 2023. The government looks to make it easier for regional vendors and small and midsize enterprises to gain basic cybersecurity knowledge and skills.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-lays-out-strategy-to-tackle-33bn-digital-trade-deficit
https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/currency
https://ticdata.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Documents/slt_table5.html