Govt wants to take along all stakeholders in finalizing IT-related policies: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque Thursday said his ministry had prepared and uploaded drafts of National Broadband Policy (NBP) and National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) on it's official website for feedback from all stakeholders.

Addressing an event titled 'Tech Trends 2021', he said “We have desired that all stakeholders should see the drafted policies and coordinate with us. We want to move forward with the thoughts of all stakeholders and incorporate their inputs in the policies.”

The event was organized by the Telenor Pakistan, one of the leading cellular companies.

He said, “The Ministry always strived to introduce the latest technology in the country, but a lot more work is needed to be done in order to truly achieve the goal of a ‘Digital Pakistan. The digital ecosystem in Pakistan is at its most promising stage compared to most of the world, and foreign investors are realizing this now more than ever before”.

“I appreciate Telenor Pakistan’s hard work in reshaping the country’s digital landscape with its myriad of initiatives in the tech ecosystem and thank them for being a fundamental part of Pakistan’s long-term technological development goals”, he added.

The minister said, “We have achieved another milestone with the approval of the Right of Way (RoW) policy from the telecom sector to help them enhance the services provided to the citizens of Pakistan” the minister said.

Haque said, “The new policy is a significant step in the right direction, removing hurdles faced by telecom and internet service providers in the installation and maintenance of their equipment and expansion of network across the country”.

The minister said his ministry would soon notify 'Right of Way' (RoW) policy, making a significant development towards fulfilling the vision of Digital Pakistan.

The Minister thanked to Prime Minister, federal cabinet, PM Taskforce and all concerned departments on the endorsement of Right of Way Policy.

He said that no government in the past had given any importance to the Right of Way Policy.

About additional spectrum, he said a committee has been constituted to address this issue, while international consultants had also been hired in this regard.

Commenting on the taxation issue, he said his ministry's recommendations had already reached the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

He said that a sub-committee was already working on the issue and after the approval of the committee, the issue would be taken up in the cabinet.

He expressed the hope that the taxation issue would be resolved soon.

The minister said that his ministry and NTC were working jointly to avert hacking of official website by the hackers. “About nine lack hackers are trying to hack the different website of the country, and the ministry is alive to avert their nefarious design” he added.

Speaking virtually at the session, Head of Telenor Research Bjørn Taale Sandberg said, “The pandemic has triggered us and nearly every industry around the globe to adapt at a rate once thought impossible. The past year has proved that digitalisation will be key to tackling major societal issues and to facilitate new ways of working and living in 2021.”

Chief Executive Officer Telenor Pakistan Wahab Khan said “ since its inception, Telenor Pakistan had been firm in its commitment towards empowering societies and creating opportunities. With annual finding on the latest technology trends and research with use cases on how our society stands to be transformed, we are constantly innovating, bringing value to our customers by applying global learning and best practices to promote financial inclusion initiatives and embrace emerging technologies such as IoT and Al to deliver the most personalized, holistic experience”.