Web 3.0 launched at PITB: Alvi terms ICT sector game changer for economy

LAHORE: Terming the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector as the game changer for Pakistan’s economy, President Dr Arif Alvi said on Friday that the entire world is looking towards Pakistan because of our youth bulge, as they need trained and skilled youth and young blood to fuel the rapidly developing IT world powered by Artificial Intelligence and quantum computers to leapfrog in the fourth industrial revolution to the next level.

“If we failed to develop this precious human resource in an accelerated manner, there is a fear that this untrained youth bulge will become a burden on national economy,” the president said while addressing the launching ceremony of Web 3.0, at Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), here on Friday.

Punjab Finance Minister Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, Special Advisor to Chief Minister on Information Technology, Dr Arslan Khalid, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), Syed Bilal Haider, Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore, Dr Sarfraz Khurshid, IT professionals and entrepreneurs attended the event.

The president maintained that revolutionary changes can be made in the health sector through Information Technology (IT) apart from ensuring transparency through digitisation.

“There are a lot of opportunities in the field of IT and we should avail these opportunities for progress and development of the country,” he said, adding: “A paradigm shift in our ideas and attitudes is required to accelerate the speed manifold for making fully solid policies which should not be rolled back by the change in government, and put our administrative and political capital for their time bound implementation by shunting out lethargy, status quo and inertia.”

He said we must find out of the box solutions to the existing and emerging issues and challenges and fully capitalize on opportunities. “With right steps taken we can earn $ 15 billion per year in the IT sector in two to three years’ time period,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022