ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday that the government is committed to ensuring access to the internet, smartphones, devices and optical facilities across the country.
Speaking at a ceremony organized by Huawei Pakistan on the occasion of World Telecommunication Day, she highlighted Huawei’s significant contribution to the global technology scene and its positive impact on Pakistan.
Vice President of Public Affairs Yushaoning, President of Carrier Network Business Group Zhangzhen, Director of PACD Saad Talha and CEO of Cloud Shahzad Rasheed also attended the event.
World Telecommunication Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the role of telecommunications in people’s lives and in the development of societies around the world.
The minister said, “I would like to congratulate Huawei for all the achievements it has achieved so far and also thank Huawei for being in Pakistan and helping Pakistan achieve its goals”.
It also offered full support to Huawei Pakistan.
The minister outlined the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to create a fully digitized nation where every citizen will have a digital identity and all processes in the economy, governance and society are transparent, efficient and effective.
“Connectivity, be it optical or wireless, is a top priority for Pakistan. We recognize that connectivity and the Internet form the basic architecture for any ICT development we seek to achieve in the future,” she said.
The minister underlined the crucial role played by a robust digital infrastructure in promoting technological progress and innovation.
As the world increasingly relied on digital solutions, ensuring widespread and reliable internet connectivity remained a top priority to support sustainable ICT growth, she added.
Shaza said that under the Prime Minister’s vision, the private sector is given full support and an enabling environment to take the lead in the digitization process.
These matters were overseen by an auction committee led by the finance minister, she added.
The Minister recalled that in 2010, Shehbaz Sharif as Chief Minister introduced the concept of e-employment.
About one million laptops, she said, were distributed among the youth, enabling many Pakistani freelancers to make a name for themselves around the world.
She recalled that 3G and 4G services were also launched during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and now the government is moving towards launching 5G.
The minister said that PML-N has played a key role in Pakistan’s digitization and IT advancement.
The government was trying to provide the best services to the country’s 150 million mobile phone users, with the aim of creating simplicity for future generations, she added.
The minister highlighted that connectivity projects worth Rs 80 billion have been completed under the Universal Service Fund (USF) in the last five years.
She said the government was focusing on entrepreneurship to transform the youth from job seekers to job creators.
Shaza said Pakistan has started manufacturing mobile phones domestically, with around 37 companies setting up manufacturing units in the country, adding that about 95% of the country’s mobile phone requirements are now met locally, and the government has focused on exporting locally manufactured mobile phones.
She noted that Pakistan’s mobile export policy was almost finalized after consultation with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Commerce.
“We are very hopeful that Pakistani-made mobile phones will soon be exported in bulk to earn valuable foreign exchange,” she added.
The minister said that currently about 200,000 mobile phones have been exported and the government is determined to increase this number.
She said the IT and telecommunication sector is one of the biggest tax contributors and has attracted about US$7 billion in foreign direct investment in the country.
On this occasion, Zhangzhen mentioned that last year, Huawei also launched the first Smart Village project in Pakistan and powered the first National Hyper-Scale Financial Cloud, focusing on sustainability and green solutions.
The Government of Pakistan launched the Smart Village Pakistan project to overcome the extreme disparity between urban and rural development indicators.
The nation’s first financial cloud contributes to economic growth and job creation while addressing data security issues, reducing latency, improving efficiency and optimizing costs.
Ray Yushaoning assured his commitment to continue contributing to Digital Pakistan by providing the world’s best in AI and cloud services, digital infrastructure, Smart City solutions and cyber security to accelerate digital economic growth.
