‘IT to soon contribute significantly to economy’

NetSol CEO believes sector has reached maturity, needs five more years.

ISLAMABAD:

NetSol Technologies CEO and Chairman Salim Ghauri said on Wednesday that the IT industry will be highly visible in the country’s economy within the next five years. Talking to a private news channel, he said over 1,000 IT companies are operating in the country with over 100,000 employees; generating over a billion dollars in IT exports. “In the next five years, these numbers will change dynamically, and the IT industry will be contributing a lot to the economy,” he said.

He said the IT industry has reached maturity after progressing silently over the last 20 years. He said due to rapid progress in the sector, Pakistan is now included among the best countries for IT.

He claimed Pakistan exports Rs5billion in IT, and is globally ranked at number two in IT services. He said work is continuing in the country on software, and progress is being achieved rapidly in almost all areas of its implementation; including mobiles, telephony, internet etc.

He suggested that the government must foster the software and IT sector before protections expire in 2016. He said this was necessary, as the IT industry was still young; if neglected, it may weaken, he warned. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2012.