Concerns over Beijing's capability to crack the millennium problem on time deepened yesterday as an official survey indicated more than half of the mainland's most crucial enterprises cannot identify or solve the computer glitch, according to reports.
Minister of Information Industry Wu Jichuan also said ignorance, lack of co-ordination and an acute shortage of funds hampered the efforts, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
He said computer users would have to rely on themselves to find money to solve the problem.
Mr Wu also blamed some computer companies for excessive charges and for slowing their efforts as they were unwilling to co-operate.
The official Beijing Morning Post said a survey of 512 firms considered to be 'focal points' by the government found 53 per cent did not know how to detect the problem.
The findings came just days before the central bank, five key banks and departments overseeing telecommunications and energy were to take part in a test to see if their networks were glitch-free, it said.
The banking, securities and futures industries have largely completed their reprogramming. About five billion yuan (about HK$4.65 billion) will be needed to finish the task, the newspaper said.