WASHINGTON: Pakistan was promoting increased global connectivity through a series of initiatives and the government is committed to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy, Finance Secretary Dr. Waqar Masood Khan said.
Speaking at an event the "Global Connect Initiative" at the World Bank, Washington, the Finance Secretary reiterated Pakistan's resolve to support the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), action lines and targets that were set under the agenda for the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG).
The government was promoting increased global connectivity through a series of initiatives to defuse the broadband penetration and encourage numerous applications in provision of public services, he added.
The Secretary appreciated the US Government for launching the Global Connect Initiative (GCI) to provide internet access to an additional 1.5 billion people worldwide by 2020 and recognized that the GCI will go a long way in meeting the UN's SDG of achieving internet access by 2030.
The Finance Secretary highlighted the World Bank's recognition of tremendous growth of internet penetration, in Pakistan, from 2001 to 2014 on account of enabling policy environment, enormous growth potential and the private sector's entrepreneurial spirit.
He said the government was determined to transform the country into a knowledge based economy adding that Vision 2025 envisages digitizing every school, college and the university in the country by 2025.
He apprised the audience that as landmark progress for the future growth and development of ICT, the government has approved the telecommunication policy 2015.
He further elaborated that the policy basically aims to facilitate universally available, affordable and quality telecom services through open, competitive and adequately regulated markets. The policy, he emphasized, will help bridge digital divide.
In 2014, the Government of Pakistan's fair auction of 3G and 4G licenses earned USD 1.2 billion for the national exchequer and also facilitated investment of USD 1.3 billion in rolling out 3G/4G networks and infrastructure in the country.
The Secretary said that there were nearly 29.3 million broadband subscribers in the country, of which 26.1 million are using 3G/4G services. He said that the Government of Pakistan is also gradually shifting public services on to e-platforms.
In this regard, debit cards have been issued to beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme which will further be replaced with biometric cards particularly to enable women to draw funds from ATMs through simple fingerprint scan.
The Finance Secretary also shared that the State Bank of Pakistan, in partnership with banking and financial institutions and telecom providers, has developed a robust policy and regulatory framework for mobile/branchless banking to achieve universal financial inclusion in Pakistan.
The revenues from Universal Service Fund are utilized to provide telephonic, internet and broadband services. The ICT industry is also being encouraged to develop applications that facilitate e-Agriculture, e-health, e-learning, e-security, e-connectivity and e-commerce. An e-commerce gateway has also been established in the country to promote digital trade in the country.
The Finance Secretary reaffirmed the Government of Pakistan's support of all global initiatives and work programs including the target specific global connect initiative of the State Department, to achieve the global connectivity objectives.
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