Atta urges private sector to, help boost software exports
ISLAMABAD- Atta urges private sector to contribute in software exports Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Attaur Rehman has called upon the private sector to play its due role in mobilizing economy through software exports.
The Minister said that government had established business incubators in foreign countries to facilitate the local software houses so that they may easily market their products internationally.
In Japan, JETRO, a Japanese business and facilitation house, has offered free space in a hub of commercial activities to Pakistani software houses, he added.
“The government can act as a facilitator. It can provide road for the public. Similarly, the government cannot manufacture or market softwares but can facilitate concerned organisations according to their requirement.”
Knowledge is, nowadays, the most precious commodity which has overshadowed every other exportable commodity, he added.
The total GDP of all 57 member states of Organization of Islamic Conference, (OIC), is 1/4th of the GDP of Japan, he said, adding the minerals and natural resources are inferior if compared with the wealth of knowledge.
He said the Pakistani embassy in Singapore has also contributed in boosting software export by providing premises, telecommunication and other useful resources to the local software houses.
To a question he denied the reports that Ministry of Science and Technology is intending to rollback file idea of business incubators and appoint special counsellors to win projects from the international market and sublet among. local software houses.
The local software houses however, do not seem to be convinced with what the government is doing to enhance software production as well as export. The small software houses are unable to afford even free facility of business incubators due to high living expenses in Japan and Singapore. They demanded of the government not to establish more incubators in Sydney, United Kingdom, United States and Germany, but win the projects and sublet it among local software developers.
They said the foreign organisations always ask for guarantee and past experience to ensure quality of the products. A small software house does find itself in the position to satisfy giant foreign organisations, they added.
They cited the example of the Indian government which has adopted a very favorable strategy of acquiring the projects from foreign countries and organisations and then subletting them among the local soft software houses.
They urged the Ministry of Science and Technology and Pakistan Software Export Board to make and implement a viable strategy of enhancing software export and strengthening local software industry.
According to an insider, only three software houses, including Elixir Technologies, EDP and Prompt Solutions, had availed themselves of the opportunity of Singapore business incubator, only for a few months, while the space in Japan is yet to be occupied by any Pakistani company.
To a question the Minister said the implementation of e-commerce laws would reduce corruption from the government departments. The computerization in public offices will not only enhance the efficiency of staff but also ensure the security and maintenance of official documents.
To another question he said the private institutions with substandard Information Technology education will be asked to attain a set standard. “If they fail to fulfill the requirements they will be closed down to save the future of the youth,” Dr Atta added.
There are thousands of small private IT institutions in Pakistan where countless students are enrolled. Most of these institutions are operating in a single room with two or three computers. The students from the small private institutions fall victims of disappointment, when the graduates of reputed institutions are preferred by big software houses.
The Education Ministry has planned to establish a National Accreditation Council, (NAC), to maintain the educational standard of the private institutes.
The idea of NAC was floated a long time ago, but the Ministry of Education could not give it a practical form.
Source: The Nation
Date:9/22/2001
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
