ISLAMABAD – Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Zafar Bakhtawari has said that there is a dire need for equipping the new generation with modern education and technology, as information technology (IT) is one of the areas that could offer enormous opportunities for creating countless jobs.
He was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) led by its president Munawar Iqbal, at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Saturday.
Zafar Bakhtawari said that IT is one of the areas that can offer enormous opportunities for creating countless jobs, thus government should give attention to promote and capitalize the potential of IT sector.
Zafar Bakhtawari was of the opinion that by tapping full potential of IT and software products, Pakistan could also grab a substantial share in the international IT market and enhance its exports as well.
He said USA, Canada, Middle East, Malaysia, UK and other countries greatly depend on IT as its usage could enhance the performance of almost every sector of economy by improving business processes, cutting costs and increasing productivity.
ICCI president said that that there is dire need to improve the export of software products as our neighbouring nation India is exporting software products having worth of $69.1 billion while Pakistan’s export of software products stood less than $2 billion.
He said that modern education required computers but poor students could not afford to buy a computer. He urged the banks to give soft loans to needy students to ensure good quality of education.
Bakhtawari said that over the last two decades IT sector has employed over half a million youngsters in different capacities ranging from software developers, hardware engineers, Call Centre operators and cable handlers etc.
He added that it has still great potential to assimilate another half a million youngsters immediately with serious efforts of the government policymakers.
He stressed upon the government to take measures for enhancing educational enrollment and particularly IT training capacity of the country people to promote IT culture and improve the competitiveness of Pakistani Software products and exports.
Arshad Mehmood, General Secretary PCA, Abdullah Malik, President and Javaid Iqbal, General Secretary of Pakistan Computer Association Islamabad Chapter were also present on the occasion.