Pakistan Software Export Board wants to make Pakistan ‘information technology Superpower’: Managing Director
ISLAMABAD- Suhail Shahid, Managing Director, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) Wednesday, said the Board was targeting to make Pakistan an ‘IT Superpower’ in a three-year period, and the accomplishments of the PSEB have so far been “remarkably high, praiseworthy and superb.”
”The goal is clear and it is to take Pakistan IT industry to one billion $ mark by December 2003,” he said.
“If we can achieve the status of a nuclear power, we can also become ‘IT Super Power’, and we have the necessary capability and the guiding force behind the set ambitious target,” he asserted.
Suhail Shahid said, fortunately, the Ministry of Science and Technology is headed by a luminary like Professor Ata-ur-Rahman, who certainly is the brain behind the remarkable achievements in the field of IT in Pakistan, “and there is no reason why we cannot do wonders in the time ahead.
About the achievements made during the last five months, he said, the PSEB has made a singular headway. Citing the achievements, he said during the year 2002, a total of 700+ IT companies registered, with offices in 5 cities (Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Mirpur Quetta in the process of being inaugurated).
During this period, he said five IT exhibitions were arranged by PSEB, 25 delegations visited Pakistan, monthly city wise meetings held include those of Industrial auto, ISO certificate, magazine, roadshows; 13 new projects have started operations in partnership with Chamber of Commerce/EPB/councillors.
Against this, the MD PSEB said during the period 1995-2001, a total of 250 IT companies were registered, PSEB offices were only in a single city, no IT exhibitions arranged by PSEB no delegations were invited to Pakistan, not a single meeting session with IT companies could be held, road shows in Pakistan were non-existent, and only four projects started.
To a question about the main successes Suhail Shahid said the PSEB ran successful and very popular exhibitions in the UK, Saudi Arabia and China.
He also informed that PSEB started automation of 500 industries in Pakistan by providing 100 percent cost for the software by as many IT companies;
Similarly, he said, we are assisting 100 IT companies to reach height of quality with ISO and CMM certifications and have offered internships for students from 75 institutes to 100 IT companies.
The PSEB MD said that the Board also started new entrepreneur business start-ups for professionals who could not afford to set-up the business in IT but were willing to invest their time and money.
He said the Board some 50 expatriate Pakistanis have extended advisory help free of cost to local IT industry in financial projections, project management, white papers, mergers and planning.
The Board, he said, has also started international level magazine mailed to 100+ chamber of commerce and embassies outside Pakistan. To a question the MD said, the key plans for the future includes taking Pakistan to 1 Billion USD market divided into following segments ie Customised application, IT enabled services, IT products and Foreign/multinational IT investments in R&D centres.
The world, he said is opened into 4 sectors ie USA, UK, Benelux, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Middle East (Saudi Arabia and UAE); China, Japan, Singapore and the rest of World.
Regarding automation of the industrial sector, Suhail Shahid said that a total of 500 companies would be automated.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:7/4/2002
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