LAHORE: An illustrious moment unfolded as the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry bestowed the esteemed IT Excellence Recognition upon 16 exceptional companies during its 3rd ceremony. Adding grandeur to the event, the occasion was graced by the honorable presence of President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, who served as the Chief Guest.
A distinguished lineup of luminaries took the stage, including LCCI President Kashif Anwar, Senior Vice President Zafar Mahmood Chaudhry, Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt, and the Convener of the LCCI IT Excellence Recognition Ceremony Mian Jabbar Khalid. The event was further elevated by the presence of former office-bearers and Executive Committee Members, lending their support and expertise.
Fatima Asad Said’s representative from Abacus Consulting Technology and Jazib Zaman of Techbout Honored with Presidential Award. Adnan Hayat Zaidi from Multine Pakistan Receives Top Achiever in Infrastructure and Communication Service Provider Award. Kashif Shail Abid of Dignities SMC, M/s. Synergy MSP, Muhammad Irshad of Allzone Etechnologies, Imad Malik of Co Build, and Abdul Wahab Ahmad of ABFA Technologies Recognized with Best LCCI Software House Award.
Shehryar Amir Turab Ali of S.T.A.R.S, Daud Nazir of NJ Dynamic Solution, Faraz Haider of The Resource Management, Haseeb Ullah Khan of Professional & IT Training Center, Hafiz Ahmad of E-Comrades, Muhammad Zaid Maqsood of Muhammad Pharmacy & IT Solutions Acknowledged as Best LCCI Software Provider. Muhammad Muddassir Naeem of Peak Solutions and Wahab Yunus of PNY Training Presented with IT Institution Shield. Director General of Trade Organizations Riaz Ahmed Receives Special Award.
Speaking on the occasion, President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi said that the redefined priorities and swift decision-making are inevitable to make Pakistan join the bandwagon of the fast-developing world. He said that Information Technology is the only sector in which Pakistan can achieve excellence by investing in human capital as in the modern era, the human intellect is far more important than natural resources.
He appreciated the role of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the promotion of information technology. He said that establishment of a venture in IT sector takes much less time than setting up an industrial unit and human resources are more important than financial resources in this connection. He said that IT sector has mathematical exponential growth.
The information technology sector and artificial intelligence are developing very rapidly world-wide. He said that in the future the importance of super-skilled human resources will also increase along with artificial intelligence.
LCCI President Kashif Anwar said that the technological advancement in the 21st century, especially digitization, has revolutionized almost every aspect of life, including the way we live, work and communicate. Countries are working on technological expansion according to the requirements of the 4th Industrial revolution so that they can become an active part of the Global Digital Economy whose volume is more than 10 trillion dollars.
He said that Pakistan’s IT industry has come a long way in the last few decades and today it has become a major contributor to the national economy. It is a matter of great pride for all of us that there has been a clear growth in our IT industry during the last few years, which is reflected in every sector of the economy.
Kashif Anwar added that according to the statistics of the Board of Investment, the IT industry contributes 1% to Pakistan’s GDP. According to an estimate, there are 10,000 IT companies in Pakistan and more than 500,000 IT professionals are associated with this sector, while our country ranks fourth in Freelance Development.
There are more than 20 IT Parks in our country. To fully utilize the potential of this sector, it is important that we invest more in our IT infrastructure, promote innovation and encourage collaboration between the private sector and the government.
He said that Pakistan’s IT sector has shown remarkable performance in recent times. According to State Bank of Pakistan data, our IT exports were $2.1 billion in 2020-21 and reached $2.6 billion in 2021-22. However, the volume of IT exports in the ten months of the current financial year is still 2.1 billion dollars.
The government should create favorable policies for the development of this sector so that the country’s IT sector can develop further. He informed the President of Pakistan that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has forwarded proposals to the government for the Federal Budget 2023-24.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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