Ministry aims for $6b software exports by 2020

Tech ministry targets at least one incubation centre in each province

KARACHI: The government has targeted an increase up to $6 billion per annum in Pakistan’s software exports by 2020, according to a Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication spokesperson.

For this purpose, the ministry has asked authorities to speed up the establishment of seven technology incubation centres nationwide in order to train the youth. At present, software exports amount to $2.7 billion.



“More than 30 consortia comprising over one hundred companies have submitted their bid proposals for four new incubation centres (one in each province),” said Ignite CEO Yusuf Hussain in a press statement.

Ignite, which is headed by Minister for Information Technology and Telecom Anusha Rahman and funded by telecom operators in Pakistan, has been tasked to establish the incubation centres.

Meanwhile, ministry spokesperson Saghir Anwar said the consortiums’ proposals were currently being scrutinised.

The two-level scrutiny would first shortlist those consortiums which meet the set technical criteria for the establishment of technology incubation centres and subsequently their financial bids would be considered. The projects will be awarded by the first week of May.

By the second week of May, the firm would invite applications from interested parties for the establishment of three specialised tech incubation centres; Internet of Things, Robotics and Fin-Tech.

“The three specialised centres will most probably be set up in Islamabad,” said Anwar.



Ignite has already set up a tech incubation centre at its office building in Islamabad in February. “In the first batch, around 40 trainees will be accommodated. Such centres in provinces may have similar capacities to train tech-savvy students in each batch, while there may be more than one batch every year,” added Anwar.

The spokesperson said that the larger objective of setting up these centres was to provide proper guidelines for students, provide them with job opportunities including self-employment and earn more foreign exchange at the national level.

Separately, the board of directors of the firm, chaired by Rahman, approved the rebranding of ICT R&D Fund Company to Ignite at a meeting on Tuesday.



The state minister said that these incubation centres would play a pivotal role in the development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills.

“This would guide youngsters to become successful entrepreneurs and earn a reasonable livelihood,” she said. “The ministry is committed to providing everyone with an appropriate forum through which they could get quality training to succeed in the growing global freelancing market.”

The statement added that the board of directors also directed to hold consultative sessions with the industry, academia and other stakeholders for its programme on digital skills training.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2017.

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