Harnessing IT for sustainable devlopment

The Government of Pakistan, recognising how one of the prerequisites for ensuring sustained growth of the economy is the provision of a clear framework consisting of policy, legislative, financial and operational guidelines, has developed a National IT Policy and Action Plan.

With the guiding theme for the Policy being that ‘the Government shall be the facilitator and enabler to encourage the Private sector to drive the development in IT and Telecommunications’, the private sector is being utilised as the main engine for growth.

Vision - to harness the potential of Information Technology as a key contributor to development of Pakistan and the broad-based involvement of the key stakeholders is a must for its sustainable development.

Goals - To realise the vision behind the IT policy, the following goals have been set:

• Make the Government a facilitator and an enabler to provide maximum opportunities to the private sector to lead the thrust in development of IT in Pakistan
• Develop an extensive pool of trained IT manpower at all levels to meet local and export requirements
• Provide business incentives for both local and foreign investors to ensure the development of Pakistan’s IT sector (including the software, hardware, and service industries) and the use of its products
• Develop an enabling legislative and regulatory framework for IT related issues
• Revitalize, emphasize, and support the country’s dormant manufacturing and research and development (R&D) potential
• Establish an efficient and cost-effective infrastructure that provides equitable access to national and international networks and markets
• Set up national databases that are reliable, secure, up-to-date and easily accessible
• Promote widespread use of IT applications in government organisations and departments for efficiency improvement and transparency in functioning and service provision, and to organise and facilitate access to public information.
• Promote extensive use of IT applications in trade, industry, homes, agriculture, education, health, and other sectors with widespread use of Internet.
• Encourage and promote the development of quality software that can capture export markets.
• Develop a tradition of electronic commerce for both national and international transactions.
• Encourage expatriate IT professionals to return to Pakistan and establish software houses, invest their time and effort in the development of local industry and software exports.

Core IT Policy strategies have been proposed under several focus areas and some of the lead recommendations in each area are as follows:

• Human Resource Development - Human Resource (HR) Development is imperative for the local IT industry to position the country as an important player in the international IT market. Under the HR Action Plan, a large cadre of academically and technically skilled manpower will be developed to meet both local and export needs. Four new IT Universities are to be established to meet this need, along with a Virtual IT University, National Testing and Accreditation Services and Educational Intranet. Existing IT institutes will be strengthened and Faculty hired from abroad.
• IT Education - The education sector is responsible for delivering a work force skilled in the use of information systems. Technical corps able to produce and maintain information products and services will be created through appropriate policies and incentives. IT education of those living in rural and poor areas has been made a strategic priority for both social and economic development. All universities, engineering and medical colleges, and institutions of higher learning in the country for improved quality of education will be networked, while educational facilities will be encouraged to adopt computer assisted learning and other IT tools. Virtual classroom education programmes will be set up, using online, Internet and/or video facilities, to provide distance learning to a large number of individuals. A compulsory, modern and up-to-date Computer Literacy module will be included in the matriculation curriculum for high schools. To address the critical shortage of qualified IT faculty, faculty are to be hired from abroad.
• IT Training - Investments in IT training are expected to yield quick results. Policy recommendations include:
• Ensure high-quality training by assigning the Accreditation Council for IT Education the task of collecting data on training institutions, rating the institutions, and disseminating information on the institutions
• Strengthen existing IT training institutions and encourage the setting up of new IT training institutes, update curricula, introduce new technologies through linkages with global IT firms, develop strong local faculties, and provide student scholarships
• To ensure maximum utilization of existing facilities, encourage public universities and colleges to collaborate with the private sector in conducting training programmes during vacations and at other times when the facilities are not in use
• Make a special effort to train and induct women in the IT sector
• Make extra efforts to educate and train people with special needs
• Infrastructure Development - The local IT industry requires a world class enabling infrastructure. A series of IT Parks and Incubators will be set up across the country, equipped with modern facilities and matchless incentives, to provide a one-stop shop for prospective investors in the IT industry. Telecom infrastructure will be modernized to carry broadband access in the backbone and local loops. IT Boards will be established in provinces (except in the Punjab where it exists already), teledensity increased and new technologies introduced, such as wireless local loop for data and cable Internet.

A system of monitoring, surveying and compiling statistics on the extent and growth of the IT sector will also be devised to provide reliable data for planning and evaluation purposes and to set up performance indicators. Ensuring that the plan meets its objectives consistently and swiftly, a mechanism will be set up involving the government, private sector, academia and other national representatives to coordinate and implement the policy and plan elements and provide strategic supervision over the longer term. The IT Policy and Action Plan, being dynamic documents, will be subjected to formal review under this mechanism every six months, with more area-specific monitoring carried out on a monthly basis.