The Ministry of Information Technology was working towards making a digital Pakistan as digital economy through IT, freelancing work, eCommerce and mobile apps was the future of Pakistan. This was stated by Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman in a function organized by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) in connection with third ICT Awards (Information Communication Technology Awards) ceremony held at a local hotel here on Tuesday.
The minister said Pakistan had developed remarkably in the field of IT. We were 3% on broadband penetration in 2014, now it has jumped up to 27%, stated Anusha. The IT ministry was working on testing of 5G, being the first country in Asia. Pakistan recently won GSMA award and ranked No 3, she added. She said freelancing industry had become 100 million dollar documented industry in Pakistan and potential is more than one billion dollar, she added. The minister said the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) had partnered with Microsoft Corporation to increase access for all to learn computer and communication skills. She also referred to the deteriorating financial condition of Pakistan in 2013 where the country was facing extreme load shedding, terrorism and low foreign reserves and the world was predicting that the country would default.
The consistency in national policies has resulted in increased investment in the country, adding that Pakistan is now more secure and peaceful as compared to the year 2013. She also appreciated the role of RCCI for promoting IT culture in the industrial sector and entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the occasion, President RCCI Raja Amer Iqbal said that IT industry had a market share of approximately $3 billion in Pakistan and twin cities had 40 percent share of the total business of IT in the country as many multinational companies had established their offices here. RCCI ICT AWARDS aims at honoring Pakistani companies at the cutting edge of technology innovation as well as leading professionals.
Earlier, the minister distributed awards among the companies including
Pakistan Ordinance Factory, Rescue 1122, Trillium Information Security Systems, NetSol Technologies Inc, Telenor Pakistan, NetSol Technologies Inc, Shifa International Hospital Ltd and others. Chairman PTA Ismail Shah, Mayor City Sardar Naseem, MD Pakistan Software export board (PSEB), CEOs of leading IT and Telecom companies, government officials and members of the RCCI executive committee were also present on the occasion.
