On Wednesday, Federal Minister Syed Aminul Haque unveiled a tile to mark the official opening of the Amazon Software Technology Park in Islamabad.
Syed Aminul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, stated on Wednesday that all efforts had been made to enhance technology access in small towns and cities, and that the number of software technology parks will be nearly quadrupled to 40 within a year.
“Currently, the government has 22 software technology parks in operation, with a goal of increasing that number to 40 by December 2022.” “The growth would be concentrated mostly in second-tier cities and towns,” the minister stated at the opening of the Amazon Software Technology Park in Rawalpindi.
He stated that secondary cities have received special attention in order to facilitate the development of the country’s tech industry.
According to the minister, the most important advantage of this programme is centred on women’s empowerment. He claims that a huge percentage of girls may work as freelancers or on a project while being at home.
According to Mr. Haque, more than 110 million Pakistanis have access to internet services, and the country has more than 500,000 IT experts. Every year, 25,000 IT graduates enter the market, including a high number of young professionals and women, he adds.
He stated that Pakistan’s telecom sector is fully regulated, with fibre optic cables accounting for more than 85% of communications infrastructure. Internet connection is available in approximately 2,000 cities and towns, with a total user base of over 107 million.
Mr Haque stated that the Ministry of IT & Technology (MoITT) continues to support any legitimate private sector initiatives to enhance the local IT industry and attract international investment through the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB).
The minister stated that a regional office of PSEB has been established in Quetta, with a focus on Balochistan’s growth.
“Every effort has been made to expand technology access in small towns and cities.” “We have asked PSEB to eliminate registration fees for businesses and startups from underserved regions,” he added.
He further stated that the programme has resulted in a large increase in the number of registered firms and startups from less developed regions such as Bhakkar, Bannu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gilgit, Khanewal, Kohat, Mithi, Mansehra, Layyah, and Muzaffarabad.
“We believe in ensuring a fast-track approach for foreign IT companies to expand their business and provide every possible facility to those companies who want to explore Pakistan for their investment and outsourcing needs,” the minister said.
The Software Technology Park is a collaborative effort between PSEB and Amazon Mall that spans 44,000 square feet and has state-of-the-art infrastructure necessary by the IT sector under one roof, including a backup power source.
Central climate control and high-speed internet are available at reduced prices, and IT experts or businesses may rent space for Rs90 square foot.
He went on to say that the goal for the next stage of IT industry development was to strengthen coordination between the MoITT, State Bank, Federal Board of Revenue, and other important stakeholders, including the PSEB, to guarantee that we not only sustain the expansion of Pakistan’s IT sector.
PSEB MD Usman Nasir and Amazon Technology Park Chairman Shafiq Akbar also spoke at the ceremony.
Source:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1666598/plan-to-double-number-of-software-technology-parks-within-a-year
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