Govt has a vision to further build a knowledge-based economy: Amin – The Nation

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Syed Amin Ul Haque has said that Pakistan is committed to providing an environment where all our citizens can reap the rewards of a thriving digital economy, which includes a strong commitment to bridging the rural-urban digital divide through initiatives such as the Universal Service Fund.

The Pakistan government has a vision to further build a knowledge-based economy. Our membership of the DCO will continue to provide opportunities for collaboration between governments to develop an inclusive global digital economy, Federal Minister Syed Amin Ul Haque said while meeting a visiting delegation of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO).

The four-member delegation was led by Deemah Al-Yahya, Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organization. The DCO consists of 7 founding countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Nigeria and Oman. Secretary IT Dr Sohail Rajput, Member IT Syed Junaid Imam, Member Telecom Muhammad Omar Malik, Member International Coordination Ajmal Awan and other officials were also present in the meeting. On this occasion, the international delegation was given a full briefing on the initiatives and policies of the Ministry of IT.

Minister IT further said that the member countries of the Digital Cooperation Organization can take advantage of Pakistans IT professionals and their excellent English accent and world class talent. The creativity of freelancers and startups awaits foreign investors. The Ministry of IT, through its initiatives and projects, strives to provide the best internet and mobile services in remote areas of the country. Our goal is to bridge the rural-urban divide. The participation of the common man in the digital economy should be ensured while special measures are being taken to bring women in this field.

Syed Amin-ul-Haq said that under the Digital Pakistan Vision, exemplary work is being done in the field of information technology in Pakistan. Dozens of projects worth billions of rupees are underway in the IT and telecom sector, with the aim of providing the best internet and uninterrupted mobile services to the common man, increasing IT exports, establishing technology parks and policies to facilitate IT companies and freelancers are made, our goal is to eliminate urban and rural segregation and provide equal access to digital services.

He said that we are confident that our initiatives would help the common man and promote the digital economy. He said that the share of women in the IT sector has increased significantly in the last three years to ensure that millions of educated women at home become part of the digital revolution and earn a living, DCO countries can use Pakistan as a human resource hub, while steps are needed to improve the coordination of IT professionals and companies with member countries.

IT minister said that a great example of how facilities can be provided to the common man under public-private partnership is the Universal Service Fund (USF) of the Ministry of IT, of which not a single rupee belongs to the Government of Pakistan involve but through funding by telecom operators, broadband services are provided to areas where it is not possible for these companies to go directly as non-profit areas.

Secretary General DCO Ms. Deemah Al-Yahya said that we are very impressed with the environment of various digital companies and educational institutions of Pakistan. She said member states can benefit from IT initiatives, adding that Pakistan has witnessed a conducive environment for women in IT and education sector. At the Digital Cooperation Organization we are building partnerships with governments, the private and non-profit sectors wherever and whenever they have a meaningful impact in creating digital prosperity. I congratulate the Pakistan government on their initiatives to enable women and young people to benefit from the internet and digital economy, and look forward to strengthening our efforts in the years to come.

The DCO Secretary-General Ms. Deemah Al-Yahya championed the inclusion of women in the digital economy, and celebrated the achievements of Pakistan entrepreneurs: I am thrilled to have met young female entrepreneurs creating digital education and financial solutions for Pakistan and the world, who provide an exciting glimpse of what the future holds for this country. She added.

DCO secretary

general visits PTA

Secretary General for Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), Deemah Al-Yahya visited Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) headquarters, Islamabad yesterday. Chairman PTA, Maj General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) welcomed the secretary general.

The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest including enhanced cooperation in the field of information & communication technologies (ICTs), growth of digital economy and efforts to advance the Digital Pakistan vision.

The secretary general and chairman PTA agreed to further expand mutual collaboration for inclusive digital transformation and growth of digital industries. DCO is a global multilateral body, established in 2020, that aims to increase digital prosperity for all by accelerating the inclusive growth of the digital economy through cooperation among the member states.

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Govt has a vision to further build a knowledge-based economy: Amin - The Nation