PM Shehbaz forms committee to make Special Technology Zones Authority functional

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the performance of the Special Technology Zones Authority and has formed a committee under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to make the Authority functional, Radio Pakistan reported.

Presiding over a high-level meeting regarding Special Technology Zones Authority in Islamabad today, he said the wastage of existing resources in the country is not acceptable at all.

The Ministers for Information Technology, Law, and Investment, Advisor to Prime Minister Ahad Cheema, Senator Afnanullah, and the Chairman of CDA will be members of the committee.

The premier directed that the committee would submit its recommendations for activating the Special Technology Zones Authority within a week.

He further issued directives to activate the Board of Governors of the Authority as well ensuring the presence of experts in it.

The Prime Minister was briefed that 400 companies are currently registered in Special Technology Zones, out of which 63 percent are Pakistani, while the rest belong to China, the United States, Turkiye, and other countries.

The meeting was also briefed about the Board of Governors of the Authority and other issues.

The Prime Minister said the talented youth of the country are earning a livelihood in the IT sector on their own.

He directed to focus on the development of technology, which is the main objective of the authority, instead of making investments in the plots.

The Prime Minister said he will not accept any further delay in the reforms of the Special Technology Zones Authority and taking measures to make it functional.

He said PML-N, during its tenure, laid the foundation for imparting skills to the youth to increase IT exports, and millions of people earned a livelihood from the laptops given to the youth during the global Coronavirus pandemic.