Professionals urged to make country IT hub

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: Chairman Federal Task Force on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Salim Ghauri has urged young IT professionals to renew their commitment to help Pakistan emerge as an IT hub out of the current global economic meltdown.

Addressing over 500 young IT professionals at the NetSol head office, he advised the IT professionals that to develop the country as a source of low-cost IT solutions and services, they should identify and stop wastage and even small savings in electricity, travel and resource utilisation would make a big difference in the IT sector’s fight against global recession. He told them to focus on efficiency and effectiveness instead of letting rumours grow and distract them. According to him, IT businesses were under pressure to revise their human resource policies to reduce costs. Therefore, they should prepare themselves to give-in in the short-term for a bright future.

Talking about the implication of world economic recession for Pakistan, Ghauri said that the global situation had further compounded domestic problems with the collapse of financial markets, difficult geopolitical situation, effect of global conditions on local businesses, impact on financial and telecom sectors and decline in exports to western countries.

However, he added that the situation may also provide an opportunity in terms of cost advantage over India. “We have to ask if we can emerge as a new major IT destination,” he said.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=161229