IT a must for economic stability: president

Says govt has released funds for broadband services in far-off areas

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has said that focus on information technology is a must for stability of the national economy and the use of IT will inform the young generation about modern learning and research trends.

He was speaking at the Pakistan Mobile App Awards 2016 for persons with disability at the Pakistan National Council of Arts on Tuesday. The awards were organised by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.

The president said the government took many initiatives for the development of IT and funds had been provided for the initiation of different projects for Third Generation (3G) and broadband services, which were benefitting far-off areas of the country.

“These steps will be helpful for overall growth of the sector and will facilitate the common man,” he said. “IT parks, youth training institutions and other relevant initiatives have added a plus to recent developments in the area of IT.”

He pointed out that IT education had been made mandatory in initial schooling. Moreover, training programmes in various technical areas are also an encouraging factor.

Similarly, he said, delivering laptops and providing scholarships were crucial steps towards equipping the youth with modern education. Seven IT schools are also being set up for girls in rural areas of the federal capital.

The president stressed that the government and the IT ministry were utilising all resources to provide best facilities to the disabled, adding these people were part of the society and serving them was a moral responsibility.

He said these mobile applications had been developed by IT experts, which could provide relief to the people with speaking, hearing, seeing or other disability.

Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman, who was present on the occasion, announced that the mobile application awards would go a long way towards developing a strong relationship among the academia, industry and relevant government organisations.

These mobile applications, she said, would enable special persons to live close to other people with the help of mobile phones and would enable them to work and communicate with other people in daily affairs.

Praising the winners of the competition, she assured them of effective utilisation of their applications by relevant state organisations.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2017.

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