PSEB Held Consultative Session on Draft IT Policy 2016

An interactive seminar for consultation on draft IT Policy 2016 was arranged by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and IT Ministry on Thursday.

PSEB Held Consultative Session on Draft IT Policy 2016

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CEO’s of almost 200 IT companies contributed in the collaborative session. The seminar was headed by State Minister for IT and Telecom Anusha Rehman. IT Member Syed Raza Abbas, PSEB Managing Director Asim Shahryar, Member Legal Aamena Sohail and other senior officials were also present at the seminar.

In his opening speech, the PSEB MD greeted the members and acknowledged the minister for her unstinting support and idealistic headship which revived the entire sector. Asim Shahryar Husain underscored PSEB’s assistances to IT industry within recent years and also shared upcoming strategies of the company.

While addressing the seminar, State Minister Anusha Rehman indicated that:

“The government is committed to achieving its vision of accelerated digitization. We have created an enabling environment for the IT industry and SMEs and large IT companies should come forward to market their products and services internationally to grow IT exports.”

She also revealed that IT allowances have grown above 41% since last year.

“The goal of ministry and PSEB is to take IT exports to more than $5 billion by 2020. For this purpose, the PSEB has planned different support programmes including participation in international IT exhibitions, local IT events, meetings with foreign IT visitors, CMMI training and certification, capacity building through internships and trainings, and infrastructure in the form of new IT parks.”

The minister stressed that IT companies should report their overseas remittances under particular State Bank’s code so that a precise picture of IT exports of Pakistan could be totaled. She highlighted that industry has to respond and cooperate with the government on defining KPIs for the IT sector during the next five years to surge remittances, foreign direct investment and employment generation so that a firm case can be made for tax exclusion on exports to FBR and Finance Ministry.

IT Member Syed Raza Shah, also talked about various aspects of attention which have been encompassed in the new IT policy involving infrastructure development, big data, persons with disabilities, e-services, local language content, IT exports, e-governance, entrepreneurship, legislation and human resource development.

The minister directed the PSEB consultants to organize more interactive sessions in all other cosmopolitans. PSEB also presented a documentary, it made to stimulate the IT industry of Pakistan, which was commended by the audience.