ict – Pakistan Tech News

Ericsson Pakistan launches Graduate Program to nurture the technology leaders!

The Graduate Program offers young, talented, and innovative minds learning and career development opportunities.
The Graduate Program provides on-the-job, project based, classroom training, and online learning to facilitate digital progress within the realm of advanced connectivity era.

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has announced the launch of its graduate program in Pakistan to offer young talents world-class learning and career development opportunities. The Ericsson Pakistan Graduate Program is focused on nurturing Pakistan’s technology leaders of tomorrow.

With experts from Ericsson training and supporting young Pakistani talent, the Ericsson Pakistan Graduate Program provides on-the-job, project-based, classroom training, and online learning in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and advanced technologies within the advanced connectivity era and as a contribution to the Digital Pakistan Policy.

The graduates are gaining valuable work experience, skills and knowledge that enable graduates to gain professional project-based knowledge, in a fast-changing ICT sector.

Aamir Ahsan Khan, President and Country Manager of Ericsson Pakistan says: “Ericsson has been in Pakistan for 60 years and giving back to society is one of our strong pillars. The Ericsson Pakistan Graduate Program enhances the skills and knowledge of the young and bright graduates while empowering them as technology experts. The youth are the catalysts to the realization of the Digital Pakistan Policy and will lead Pakistan’s digital future in different areas like FinTech, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and more. The graduates have great potential, and we are looking forward to their success.”

The young, curious, and innovative graduates are working alongside world-class industry expertise at Ericsson and are supporting the development of projects that are changing the world of communication in Pakistan and the region.

Graduates interested in the program can visit https://www.ericsson.com/en/careers/student-young-professionals to know more about future opportunities that Ericsson offers young professionals.

ICT A Key Player of Digital Future in Pakistan

Technology is not just an intellectual concept associated with advanced tools and systems. It is much more than that. It assists shape people’s actions, development, and adaptation in society. In terms of advancement, technology has supported bridge a global gap, enabling people to determine regarding the world and associate with each other in ways that were close to unachievable in the past.

Today, we can order tickets, flights, and hotel rooms to move conveniently around the world with a few valves on our mobile phones. Mobile banking and ATM machines have cleared financial executions more rationalized and quicker, with more productivity. Technology has escaped into every feature of our daily life whether it is interaction, conveyance, education, or employment.

But, unhappily, there still remain huge incorporation gaps when it occurs to digital assimilation in the improving world. In Pakistan too, the divide is widening and requires to be directed on priority. Fortunately, the country’s Information and Communications Technology sector is supporting a great share in promoting these spaces and guiding the people into the fold of digital insertion so the advantages of technology can be expanded to everyone.

Both telecom participants and ISPs are giving significantly to advancing the nation’s pace towards Digital Future in Pakistan that would honor itself in an Information Technology-based recognition economy. From basic correspondence to internet retrieval, these players are trying to embrace more people digitally and alleviate their entrance to a world of opportunities, be it fitness, pedagogy, information, or work.

The telecom industry in Pakistan observed a high in data utilization, with the wide-band customer taking off to a hundred million in 2021 over the past years. This new, post-widespread normal has given the telecom industry a distinctive opportunity to provide the economy with an essential raise to meet the influence of the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

One of the ICT players conducting the digital adaption in Pakistan is Wateen Telecom. It has appeared as one of the important participants in the country’s encouraging Information and Communications Technology sector. It is one of the quickest-developing fibre-optic networks for businessmen, occupations, and Small and Medium Enterprises all over the country, with over thirty-five KM of modern fibre infrastructure, approaching two hundred forty cities across Pakistan.

With a new goal, Took with its commute in management, Wateen has performed a significant role in giving data and connectivity services to users and occupations alike. The organization has provided high-level services be it fiber, controlled amplitudes, VSAT networks.

Wateen businessmen are successfully done tactical from starting to finish Information and Communications Technology proposals with a government institution, Small and Medium Enterprises, large enterprises, the health sector, and monetary institutions.

The institution has maintained to promote extensible collaborations, owing to its extensive apartment of directed services profiles. As an institution that is persistently innovating to match raising demands, Wateen is on its way to lead Pakistan’s digital expedition with a large profile of users and enterprises depending on its services.

Surviving in a post-pandemic globally and having acquired availed to the new normal, we now understand the pivotal significance of digital eruption and smooth connectivity. It is our immediate occurrence how dependable internet access maintained us all safe from the fatal pandemic and also empowering us to perform everything remotely while performing social isolating.

To resemble our step with the rest of the world, the country’s digital field requires to be durable and smooth to remove the digital divide and provide connectivity possible for all. Furthermore, digital incorporation is also the very basic precept and measure for the digitalization that we envision for Pakistan.

Our digital advancement can be secure, faster, and more valuable With ICT players such as Wateen.

Pakistan tops Asian telecom users and investment destinations

Pakistan takes the first place in the South Asians as telecom users, a destination for investment and many multilateral institutions, the World Bank this week said. Pakistan leads the region in e-commerce, digital finance and branchless banking in the forward movement expanding of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy campaign.

A maximum sweep and use of mobile telephony, other equipment, commercial, business, industrial, education and media sectors is seen from the Arabian Sea shores, beside the United Arab Emirates to the Himalayan heights and the K-2 peaks in north extreme of Pakistan. E-commerce sights and businesses are coming up in these snow regions. Vendors sell fancy Pakistani handicrafts as far as Germany, Norway and Japan via the Internet. While this change of the telecom and IT users is in progress, Pakistan is the first destination for foreign investors and the market is changing to being the kind where all types of mobile telephony, telecom and ICT related services and products are used.

The sister countries include production and assembly of computers, laptops and other It equipment is growing with these developments. The production activities are likely to expand and the proposals to reduce the present taxes and other concessions are being considered by the government. Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) has proposed a withdrawal of some taxes and the levy of fixed customs duties and taxes on IT products.

Our proposals will encourage legal import of IT products, remove taxes relating to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences. It will provide the IT industry a level playing field, reduce consumer prices, and cut down large scale smuggling,

Says PCA chairman, Munawwar Iqbal.

If the government agrees to levy a fixed tax on each IT product, it will bring Rs5.5 billion a year in the form of new revenue.

Abdul Rauf Alam, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCC&I) says:

The computer industry in Pakistan plays a significant role in the development and progress of the overall economy. The problems being faced by PCA and other sectors of the private sector are being discussed with Finance Minster Ishaq Dar, who is busy preparing the budget and the tax proposals for the National Budget for 2016.

The budget will be unveiled in June. Meanwhile, the World Bank Group and its 25 associates in the programme to reach Universal Financial Access -2020, of which Pakistan is a member, reported that

Around six per cent of adults in Pakistan have mobile accounts as compared to South Asia’s average of less than 2.6 percent.

Pakistan having a formal and regulated transaction account is opening a channel to other financial services as savings payments, insurance, and credit, which can be helping people manage their lives better. Confirmed by the statistics are the prospects for IT-mobile telephone services and banking for moving forward hand-in-hand and enjoying growth in the various sectors.

It is shown that 13 percent of adults have a formal account, less than 5% women are included in the formal finance sector, 27.5 million adults say distance to a financial organization a barrier for the opening of a financial account while 2.9% adults have a debit card. The telecom sector is seeing a growth in the form of new equipment import, new connections and the state of the art technology, private use, and its applications from e-commerce to banking and fintech. The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA), World Bank and internationals say that this number is in millions.

The number of broadband subscribers is over 26 million people, PTA said which increases the broadband usage from 3 to more than 15 percent. A 10% increase in the high speed internet connections will increase the GDP by 1.38% World Bank says. A good and positive effect of coming of broadband in Pakistan is set to happen on the growth of the economy. This shows the speed and size of the rate of dividends and profits is in this modern telecoms and the reason as to invest foreign and domestic funds in Pakistan.

Rs. 3 Billion Worth of New Projects in the Next Fiscal Year – MoIT

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) came up with four new projects of the Special Communication Organization (SCO) under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2016-17, against a demand of Rs. 1146.8 million, according to documents, and an estimated cost of Rs. 2766.9 million.

A demand of Rs.1.333 billion for the 9 new schemes for 2016-17 was made by Ministry which includes:

IT Capacity Building of Federal Government Employees (NITB)-Rs 20 million
Replication of e-Health Services at Federally Administrative hospitals (NITB)-Rs 20 million
Research Studies and Updations for ICT Industry- Rs 51 million
IT Industry Support Programs (PSEB)-Rs 37.264 million
Expansion of Broadband Internet Services in AJ&K Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 44-4 million
Expansion of Broadband Internet Services in GB Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 32.5 million
Replacement of GSM Network of AJ&K (Project no. III/2011-2012)-Rs 580 million
Provision of Seamless GSM Coverage along KKH for Proposed Gawadar-Kashighar Economic Corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan (Project I/2014-2015) GB (SCO)-Rs 489 million
Feasibility Study and Consultancy for development of Information Technology (IT) Park at Karachi-Rs 58.287 million.

A proposal of Rs. 2457.832 million was put forward by the MoIT under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the year 2016-17 against the Rs. 922.804 marked for the current financial year. Also, two new projects for National Information Technology Board and one of Pakistan Software Development Board were proposed but none for MoITT IT wing and MoIT Telecom wing were proposed in the coming PSDP.

The PSDP for the coming fiscal year 2016-17 was prepared and sent to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology for consideration and recommendation with respect to MoIT and its connected departments, which is a mandate for discussion, proposals and passed by end March.

The proposed layout of PSDP for fiscal year 2016-17 is Rs 2457.832 million against 20 schemes relating to IT & Telecom sectors including 11 old/ongoing and nine new projects.

The government has earmarked Rs 922.804 million including Rs 722.804 million local component and Rs 150 million foreign component. However the data of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms shows that Rs 1342.549 million has so far been released to IT and Telecom ministry including Rs 1144.5 million foreign aid and Rs 198 million local component.

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms does not show the foreign component however, according to the Economic Affaires Division China has released Rs 1144.5 million for construction of cross- border optical fiber cable (OFC) system between China and Pakistan for international connectivity of voice / data traffic under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The government however released no amount against the replication of e-office (basic common applications) at 45 divisions of federal government, research & development unit (Islamabad) and technology parks development project at Islamabad projects.

After getting the passage from standing committee, the proposed PSDP would be presented before the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms for final consideration.

PSEB – Internship for 3000 IT graduates yearly in National ICT Internship Programme

PSEB’s Board ready to upgrade the volume of the Prime Minister’s internship programme and endorsed to give internship to three thousand IT graduates including 30% female graduates yearly.

These interns will be set at IT organizations, IT Departments of Telecom Sectors organizations, Banks and other such Organizations. With the goal that IT graduates add to the expertise set to build their employ-ability possibilities. Length of time of the Internship will be 6 months.

It was chosen in 31st directorate meeting which was led by Minister of State for IT Mrs. Anusha Rahman.

Government Secretary IT, Mr. Azmat Ali Ranjha, MD PSEB, Asim Shahryar Husain, Chairman PTA Dr. Ismail Shah, Member Telecom Mudassar Hussain, Member HR/IT Tahir Mushtaq, Chairman @PASHA, Syed Ahmad, and agents from TDAP were likewise present in the meeting.

The Board communicated its worries on sales taxes being required by the commonplace governments on IT Companies considering that IT sends out income is excluded from taxes at present. A four part board of trustees including Member IT, Member Legal, MD PSEB and Chairman @Pasha has been constituted and ordered to look into the “taxation issue” instantly. The Committee will present its report with proposals to the Ministry for thought. A formal lawful feeling in such manner will likewise be looked for through the Ministry of Law and Justice also.

The Minister also coordinated MD PSEB to add to another intelligent site which ought to highlight the advantages of incorporating so as to put resources into Pakistan’s IT industry fundamental points of interest of all IT organizations which are enrolled with PSEB and that it ought to be overhauled all the time.

MD PSEB said that PSEB is working intimately with STEPI Korea to finish feasibility study for another best in class IT park in Islamabad by February 2016. The Minister coordinated PSEB to finish up consenting to the loan arrangement with Korean government by summer of 2016.