Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has invited the US businessmen to invest in the Information Technology and telecom sectors in Pakistan which possesses great opportunities for better returns on investment.
The Minister told a 15-member US Business Council delegation led by Herb Davis, Managing Director of South Asia Affairs US Chamber of Commerce; and Esperanza Gomez, Executive Director of US-Pakistan Business Council, US Chamber of Commerce.
IT Secretary Khalkid Saeed, Pakistan Software Export Board MD Dr Amir Matin and other IT Ministry officials were also present.
The visiting delegation included high-ranking representatives from companies and business houses such as Touchstone Communications, Delta Matrix, Global Business Relations, Netsol Technologies, Oracle, Lights of America, Telnia Corporation, Ledtronics, Sweetwater International and Merck & Co.
The Minister told the delegation that the telecom and IT sectors in Pakistan had become the leading growth engine of business activity due to liberalisation of the sector marked by deregulation of fixed-line telecommunication and the decision to award two more licences in the mobile cellular sector.
Awais Leghari added that organisational restructuring of PTCL was also underway to bring about a change in the business attitudes and to prepare the company for the competition likely to set in following the entry of new players in the wireless local loop and long-distance international telecommunication areas.
Referring to the e-government initiative, Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said his ministry had launched an aggressive programme to ensure a quick delivery of IT enabled public services to the people.
He said many world IT giants have started coming to Pakistan in a big way by interacting and teaming up in joint partnerships with local firms and business houses.
He said that the young professionals in Pakistan are capable of proving their skills in any competitive atmosphere.
Expressing their views, the visiting US businessmen expressed their confidence in the business opportunities in Pakistan, saying they were looking very seriously at business prospects emerging out of investment-friendly policies of the government.
He said that already several US businessmen have invested in Pakistan.