IT Companies Donate 15 Million for Flood Relief to Alkhidmat Foundation

Islamabad: Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and Alkhidmat Foundation have joined hands to help alleviate the miseries of the flood-affectees in these times of crises of unprecedented proportions. P@SHA member companies have collectively donated 15 million to Alkhidmat Foundation and more contributions are on their way. As a responsible association determined to contribute to prosperity of Pakistan, P@SHA initiated the relief drill to help fellow Pakistanis in need.

Alkhidmat Foundation will ensure delivery of aid & sustenance goods on the ground in a transparent, meticulous and diligent manner. These goods include water-proof tents; linen sheets; clean drinking water; dry eatables, e.g. ready-to-eat black channa, dates & biscuits; packaged milk & juices; formula milk powder for children of various ages; stitched or ready-to-wear clothes; plastic shoes; hygiene products; raw food items such as rice, flour and lentils for people stuck in homes due to flooding outside; medical supplies for elderly, sick, mothers & children and dry fodder for the cattle as well.

Chairman Badar Khushnood said that “P@SHA issued an appeal two weeks back to its member companies to donate generously and contribute actively in this need of the hour; which has rendered millions of families displaced as one-third of Pakistan is drowned due to the floods and have lost shelter. Additionally, there are over half a million pregnant women in addition to 2 million children in the need of the baby food. The elderly, sick, expecting mothers and children need immediate medical attention and humanitarian support.”

Secretary General Hira Zainab added that “the floods during this year have been devastating. At P@SHA, we felt our responsibility to bring together the IT industry to play our small part. We brought credible NGOs as partners and also encouraged IT companies to engage in flood relief activities on their own. We are thankful to all industry leaders, who came forward and have donated over 15 million so far. We consider this as the beginning of the CSR activities that P@SHA will be undertaking with the help of the IT industry for flood-affectees.”

P@SHA’s initial estimate was to generate 10 million, but on the back of generous support, empathetic and humanitarian response from IT companies, it is now hopeful that the donations may cross as much as 50 million.

PITB – P@SHA sign MoU to promote IT Industry in Pakistan

PITB – P@SHA sign MoU to promote Public-Private partnership by engaging local IT industry in Public Sector Digitalization

As part of the vision articulated by Chairman PITB Azfar Manzoor, PITB is actively working towards promoting Public-Private Partnership. One of the initiatives is PITB’s ‘Partners in Development’ program that aims at supporting the local software industry by engaging them in public sector software development work with special emphasis on digitally powered public services. In this regard, PITB and Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITeS (P@SHA) signed an MoU today at Arfa Software Technology Park to promote collaboration between public and private sectors.

The MoU was signed by Chairman PITB Azfar Manzoor and Chairman P@SHA Barkan Saeed. According to the MoU, both the organizations will support each other as partners in the digitalization drive of the Punjab Government, and explore avenues of potential growth for the IT & IT enabled Services (ITeS) Industries. On this occasion Public-Private Partners Portal was also launched where local IT companies can register and share their ideas on collaborative transformation. PITB’s DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, GM IT Burhan Rasool, Founder & CEO DPL Syed Ahmed, President & CEO of InfoTech Group Naseer Akhtar and other senior officials were also present at the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion Chairman PITB Azfar Manzoor said, “Both PITB and P@SHA are focused on collaboration to digitalize the governance ecosystem in Punjab by leveraging and sharing expertise in IT & ITeS. Through Public- Private Partnership, PITB will support the local software industry by engaging them in public sector software development projects”

Chairman P@SHA Barkan Saeed stated, “PITB is playing a vital role in the digitalization of Punjab and in promoting public-private partnership. P@SHA will encourage its members to actively engage with PITB through PITB’s ‘Partners in Development’ initiative. Both PITB and P@SHA will also work towards deliberating policy interventions necessary to foster the IT Industry in Pakistan”.

Local IT Companies and Software houses can register on the following web address. www.partners.pitb.gov.pk

Global Entrepreneurship Summit: White House Invites Jehan Ara the Asian Pakistani tech entrepreneur

The leading Pakistani tech entrepreneur, Jehan Ara is invited by White House to speak at Stanford University for the next Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 (GES), updated on her latest social media post.

Jehan Ara pates Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@sha), was founded in 1992 to give boost to software industry of Pakistan.

Ara will perform in panel discussion, invited on behalf of President Obama “‘investing in South Asia: What’s next for Entrepreneurship in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh’.

Jehan Ara heads P@SHA and its tech incubator ‘The Nest I/O’, that gives potential entrepreneurs with infrastructure, space, knowledge and facilities as well as space ACCESS to a network of mentors and potential investors.

She is supporting some major topics that include data protection, privacy and Cyber Crime. She is also part of an organization proposed on research backed advocacy named as Bolo Bhi.

Besides this all she is giving her services on an enterprise known as the ‘Women’s VIRTUAL NETWORK’ that will associate educated women with potential employers, peers remotely and mentors as well. However involving more women into the economic fold and managing a communal that will support professionals’ network for professional women.

About GES 2016

According to the website it purposes to present stimulating investors and entrepreneurs from all over the world boosting new opportunities for partnership, collaboration and investment, associate American investors with solid counterparts to present long term relationship and highlight entrepreneurship as means to meet international challenges.

The summit will come up with wide range of panels, mentoring, pitch competitions, ignite talks and networking sessions proposed to provide participants golden opportunities to get expertise and relationships that will support their ventures to grow.

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.