*Pakistan’s Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin-ul-Haque saidthe country’s IT-sector exports can increase 400% to $15 billion in threeyears if the industry is provided with favourable policies.*
The minister was speaking at the launch ceremony of three projects ofOptical Fiber Cable worth Rs5 billion for six districts of Sindh. The OFCis expected to provide high speed connectivity to 4.2 million residents ofLarkana, Hyderabad, Badin, Qambar Shahdad Kot, Jamshoro and Badin.
“The projects will be completed in 16 months before the next elections inAugust,” the minister said.
The project will connect a total of 207 towns and Union Councils (UCs)through 2,192 km of OFC.
The OFC contract has been signed between Universal Service Fund and PTCL.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad SuhailRajput, Secretary IT and Chairman USF Board Mohsin Mushtaq were alsopresent on the occasion.
The agreement was signed by Haaris Mahmood Chaudhry, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Universal Service Fund, (USF) Ministry of IT, and President &Group CEO, PTCL and Ufone, Hatem Bamatraf.
Haque further said that the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication throughUSF aims to connect all the citizens of Pakistan as digitalisation hasbecome a priority for businesses and communities.
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Under its Next Generation Optic Fiber (NG-OF) Network & Services program,USF has contracted over 16,000 km of Optic Fiber Cable (OFC) to benefit31.5 million populations across the country.
Haque said IT exports in fiscal year 2019-20 were $1.4 billion. Theyincreased to $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2020-21, showing 47.44% growth.
“This year (fiscal year 2021-22), IT exports will be $3 billion and $5billion next year. The Prime Minister has asked us to take it to $15billion and I have agreed, but I have asked him to first resolve issues theIT industry faces. Allow us to sit with State Bank of Pakistan and FBR andresolve the sector’s problems and then $15-billion as exports areachievable,” he said.
CM Murad Ali Shah said Pakistan is blessed with the main ingredient thatderives growth in the IT sector — the youth.
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