ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee to activate the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) following its poor performance that disappointed the premier.
The prime minister said that the country’s youth are earning jobs on their own in the IT sector, but the relevant authority is ineffective. The committee is to be headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and would have Information Technology Minister, Law Minister, Investment Minister, and Advisor to Prime Minister Ahad Cheema, Senator Afnanullah, and the CDA chairman as its members.
The committee has been directed to submit its recommendations for activating the Special Technology Zones Authority within a week. The board of governors of the authority should also be activated immediately.
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The committee was asked to ensure the presence of relevant field experts on the Board of Governors and instead of investing in plots attention should be given to its main purpose, i.e., development of technology in the country.
While giving a detailed briefing regarding Special Technology Zones to the meeting, it was told that 400 companies are currently registered in the authority, out of which, 63 percent are Pakistani, while the rest belong to China, the USA, Turkey and other countries. The meeting was also briefed about the Board of Governors of the Authority and the issues.
The prime minister directed the authority to actively and effectively implement measures on a priority basis to play its role in domestic IT exports.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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