ISLAMABAD – Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications is inprocess of formulating a centralprocurement plan for federal government’s e-readiness in terms of ICTinfrastructure, a key element for digitization.
The first ever digital policy of Pakistan envisions the country to becomea strategic enabler for an accelerated digitization eco-system to expandknowledge-based economy and spur socio-economic growth.
Official sources while highlighting steps being taken by the government touplift industry on Sunday saidTask force on IT and Telecom has been constituted to suggest specificinterventions in policies and regulations while committee have beenconstituted to finalize recommendations to Federal Cabinet for renewal ofCellular Mobile Licenses.
Around 81,119 persons are being imparted training under a phased-wiseDigiskills Programme, launched to train one million youth, freelancers, etcto provide opportunity to gain marketable digital skills.
The on-going programme of the Ministry is also aimed at training youthwith knowledge, skills, tools & techniques necessary to seize opportunitiesavailable internationally on online market places as well as locally toearn a decent living.
Moreover, the sources said Device Identification, Registration & BlockingSystem (DIRBS) has been introducedby Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to curtail counterfeit mobilemarket and discourage mobiletheft.
All stakeholders have been facilitated in revision of policies, to enableimport of used mobile phones and prevention of smuggling.
Similarly, the sources said the un-served and under-served areas of thecountry are being providedstate-of-the-art telecommunication and broadband services (2G/3G) throughUniversal Service Fund (USF).
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Additional under-served areas, identified by the Ministry have beenrecently approved by Federal Cabinet forprovision of Next Generation Mobile Services.
Another initiative is Information and Communication Technology (ICT) forGirls which is an endeavour to spursocio-economic uplift by enhancing employability potential of girls inPakistan. This project will help in making over110,000 girl students “Computer Literate” studying in Islamabad’s schoolsand bringing them at part with students elsewhere in the world.
Also, 144 Women Empowerment Centers have been provided with ICT ModelLabs. Through this program over 5,000 girls will be trained annually atstate-of-the-art computer labs under coaching and training programme ofMicrosoft. Over 10,000 girls have benefited from this program so far.
The Ministry is also working on new projects for maximum economic impactthrough collaboration, digitization,research and innovation in new emerging technologies within the ICT andother socio-economic sectors.
The government was also planning for development of IT zones, softwaretechnology parks at major cities, and to finance research & developmentactivities, entrepreneurship and innovation.
