Encouraging Local IT Companies for CPEC Involvement

During the inaugural council meeting, it was underscored that maintaining consistent government policies is crucial to attract both local and international investors.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Syed Amin-Ul-Haque, who chaired the session, revealed that Chinese investors were eager to establish a new optical fiber connection running from Khunjerab to Rawalpindi, extending along the railway line to Karachi. The primary objective is to link Karachi with Gwadar and lay the cable under the sea towards the Persian Gulf region.

Minister Haque disclosed that the government had convened a high-level meeting with companies involved in CPEC projects with the goal of securing market access for Pakistani businesses in China. He also outlined steps aimed at achieving this goal, including facilitating Chinese IT companies in establishing offices within Pakistan.

Highlighting the potential to make Pakistan a regional cloud hub, Haque stressed the importance of collaboration with Chinese counterparts on cloud initiatives.

Regarding the ambitious target of exporting IT services to Chinese markets, the minister mentioned that many Pakistani IT firms initially served as subcontractors for Western and other international companies. He emphasized the readiness of Pakistani companies to handle outsourced projects from Chinese firms and the agreement to involve Pakistani experts in projects within China.

The council meeting witnessed the participation of Minister for Finance Muftah Ismail, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima, Senator Afananullah Khan, representatives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), as well as public and private sector council members.

Established on June 5 and presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the advisory council's main objective is to promote the IT industry and bolster Pakistan's digital economy.

To expedite their efforts, the council formed three committees: IT Export, Personal Data Protection, and Telecom Sector Growth. These committees will present their recommendations to the Prime Minister and the Advisory Council Chairperson after finalizing their proposals within a week.

The IT Exports committee, led by former Secretary IT Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, will focus on boosting IT export activities. Senator Afnanullah Khan heads the committee responsible for formulating Personal Data Protection Rules, while the Telecom Committee, chaired by Jazz CEO Amir Ibrahim, will concentrate on spurring growth within the telecom sector.