Task force on ICT submits IT policy to planning commission

Task force on ICT submits IT policy to planning commission

Updated at: 0140 PST, Friday, November 27, 2009 ISLAMABAD: The final document on first-ever-five-year Information Technology (IT) policy document is submitted to the Planning Commission of the government of Pakistan, said Salim Ghauri, Chairman of the Task Force on Information Technology and Communication Technologies (ICT). In a statement he said that the Planning Commission will examine the document and finalize it by February 2010 before tabling it to the Parliament. The Government of Pakistan had formed the Task Force on ICT to place Pakistan as a major player in software exports. Other objectives included the development of domestic software/ computer hardware and telecom equipment industry, development of citizen centric applications/services especially in local language, raising quality and enrolment of I.T. education, creating large employment opportunities in IT/Telecom, making Pakistan a major I.T. manpower exporter, making recommendations for the promotion of IT/Telecom sectors, suggest incentives and estimate the investment requirements for the GOP and private sector. The recommendations of ICT task force will go not only into the next five year plan (i.e. 2010-2015) but also to make contingency planning for reducing the impact of global economic crises on Pakistan. Ghauri said the IT policy document has strongly recommended the government to incorporate the IT policy in the national trade policy. He said the IT industry was all set to lead Pakistan’s exports in near future provided the government is serious in recognizing its potential like the neighbouring country. He said the IT policy document has also urged the government to facilitate the software houses in registration with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to make them visible in country’s exports. “Earnings of the companies doing I.T. exports are much higher than the figures reported by the State Bank of Pakistan,” he said, adding: “The IT industry exports have touched to the magical figure of $1 billion and ways and means are needed to be explored to encourage the IT companies for reporting their exports earnings to the SBP.” He said the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) data suggests that only 17 I.T. companies were registered with SBP, a few years back, which has now increased to about 179 companies against a total of around 1200 IT companies registered with the PSEB. He said the Task Force has also assigned the task of survey of the IT industry to the PSEB to ascertain the actual size of the industry, which later on would be published by the federal statistical division. The meeting was attended by Dr Samar Mubarikman, DG Planning Commission and representatives from PSEB, Ministry of Information Technology and other departments