Govt asked to swiftly develop digital infrastructure

Businessmen underline need for learning from China digital model

LAHORE:

Pakistan should take solid steps to bolster reforms related to the market-oriented allocation of data elements and speed up the construction of digital infrastructure, including industrial internet and computing power networks, stated Moazzam Ghurki, President of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI).

These steps should be part of the broader push towards the “Digital Pakistan” initiative, just like “Digital China”, a statement quoted Ghurki as saying.

He pointed out that China rolled out a plan for the overall digital development last year, vowing to make critical progress on implementing the Digital China programme by 2025.

“We can take help from this model; it has all the information for advancing the development of data-related fundamental institutions, coordinating the integration, sharing, development and application of data resources, and pushing forward the planning and building of Digital Pakistan, which includes a digital economy and society.”

Echoing similar remarks, PCJCCI Senior Vice President Fang Yulong stressed that more efforts should be made to establish and improve data pertaining to property rights, formulate policies to promote the efficient circulation and trading of data in a compliant manner, and establish a revenue distribution and security governance system.

Just like China, he added, Pakistan should also accelerate the research of data security technologies, bolster the digital, intelligent and green transformation of industries, strengthen international cooperation in digital economy as well as continuously optimise regulations concerning the cross-border data flow.

Giving his views, PCJCCI Vice President Hamza Khalid said that China had unveiled guidelines to expand the application of data elements in more fields, foster new growth drivers and create new industries and business models.

“Efforts will be further accelerated to press ahead with the utilisation and development of data elements. With the theme of unleashing the value of data elements and fostering new quality productive forces, an upcoming summit will primarily focus on the multiplier effect of data, and building digital infrastructure and data resource systems,” he said.