Islamabad, Aug 23: Pakistan holds a share of less than 0.04 percent in the worldwide IT market, according to information provided before the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Thursday.
The committee, led by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Kha, met to examine the performance and workings of the Electronic Certification Accreditation Council (ECAC) and the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB).
The committee was informed that the PSEB is run by a seven-member Board of Directors, having been founded in 1995 as a Private Software Export Board. As of right now, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has 26,000 registered IT businesses.
Pakistan’s portion of the global IT business is still less than 0.04%, despite the market’s astounding $5 trillion valuation. IT products contributed 24 percent of the sector’s growth this year, which is the same growth rate as previous year.
Pakistan sells IT to the following regions: the US receives 54% of its exports, followed by Europe (21%), the Gulf countries (10%), and Asia Pacific (14%).
There are 2,124 web design services providers, 452 network security providers, and 616 data storage and management providers in the nation. In Pakistan, there are 3,463 IT consulting firms, 940 cloud service providers, 870 social media consulting firms, 465 email marketing firms, 664 IT help desk organizations, and 81 repair service companies.
The chairman of the committee voiced concerns about the training programs’ lack of transparency, specifically pointing out issues with the HR-ICT Internship Program, which has taught 3,500 interns over the course of six months and pays them a monthly stipend of Rs. 20,000.
The committee requested comprehensive information about the names, provinces, and selection criteria of the interns who successfully completed the program. Concerns were voiced regarding the money made from these initiatives and how it was used.
The committee oversaw the creation of an extensive report on the training initiatives, complete with financing sources and quality control procedures.
Officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also briefed the committee on the growing payload through VPN traffic and the widespread internet service outages brought on by submarine cable problems. The committee raised concerns about the Twitter ban, which was purportedly enforced at the Ministry of Interior’s request.
