ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI) Ahsan Iqbal has established a Steering Committee comprising experts from IT and the private sector for the implementation of digital transformation to increase digital exports of the country.
The minister made this announcement, while addressing a roundtable conference on digital transformation in Pakistan organised by the Ministry of PD&SI on Thursday, after a report on Pakistan’s digital journey, recommendations for digital transformation in Pakistan was launched by Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).
The report prepared by the OICCI covers wide-ranging suggestions to boost digital infrastructure and connectivity, e-governance, e-commerce, Ed-tech, Fintech, agri-tech, health-tech, IT exports, and web technologies.
The report argues that digitisation has the potential to add $60 billion to the economy by 2030, if the government creates a favourable investment climate for local and foreign investors to fill in the large gaps in digital infrastructure and connectivity.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister highlighted that the IT sector is the key driver to increase the digital exports while reiterated that the government is committed to give a top priority to the sector to increase digital exports.
The Steering Committee will hold meetings every month to implement the recommendations of OICCI over digital transformation.
Increasing exports is the only solution to get rid of the country’s economic problems, said the Minister for Planning, while assuring the stakeholders that the government would implement the recommendations of OICCI.
It is noted that last week the Minister for Planning formed a 15-member National Task Force on Artificial Intelligence aimed at achieving the required goals of national development. The key objective of the task force is to develop a 10-year roadmap for accelerated adoption of AI in the business, development, governance, education and healthcare sectors.
He said that since the government came to power in April 2022, several initiatives had been taken to improve the country’s economy. He added that political stability was the key factor for the economic growth in the country as due to political instability Pakistan unfortunately could not achieve development targets which its neighbouring countries like India and Bangladesh had achieved by ensuring political stability for the period of 10 years, the minister added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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