Rs 5oom funds for IT to be disbursed | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Rs 5oom funds for IT to be disbursed

LAHORE- The Government of Pakistan while placing highest priority to Information Technology (lT) has set aside Rs 500 million fund to be dispersed on quota system for IT related projects originating from provinces.

Federal Minister stated this for Science and Technology, Prof. Ata-ur-Rehman while chairing the first inter-provincial IT meeting presided over by provincial governor Lt. Gen. Khalid Maqbool (Retd).

Chief Secretary, Punjab, Secretary IT Board, Punjab, Additional Chief Secretary North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Additional Chief Secretary Sindh, Secretary Planning and Development, Balochistan, Additional Chief Secretary Planning, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Chairman Punjab IT Board and Chairman, NTC attended the meeting.

Professor Ata-ur-Rehman, speaking on the occasion, said that close consultations with provinces would be held through these meetings so that IT projects launched cater to the requirements of provinces and money allocated is judiciously spent. However, certain broad based parameters have to be decided for selection of these projects, he said.

Professor Ata-ur-Rehman said that main priorities of the government are human resource development in key areas of IT development and required infrastructure.

In the human resources development sector, the government has initiated many short, medium and long-term training programmes in key areas of IT and Telecom. The government is also taking a number of steps to address the issue of quality of IT education institutes.

Draft accreditation Act after the approval of cabinet has been submitted to the Law Division. IT Accreditation Council will be set up for which the ministry has already completed the required work, he added.

The Federal Minister also assured the representatives of provinces that all their inputs would be well taken and seriously considered by his ministry. Changes in policy and implementation procedures will be made wherever necessary, he added.

Presiding over the meeting, Governor Punjab said that use of IT in areas like politics; good governance and economy would be instrumental in raising the level of efficiency in the government. The provincial government is taking various steps to benefit from the opportunity being offered by IT,

Ashfaq Mahmood, Secretary, IT and Telecom Division, addressing the meeting said that for significant ventures, software development, human resource development on the basis of 75:25 proportions of Federal and provincial funds would be disbursed.

Source: Business Recorder
Date:12/14/2001