Nokia, the world leading mobile manufactures, attaches great importance to Pakistan due to its large population and growing economy - the factors that qualifies the country for being a lucrative destination for foreign investors, a top official of the company said.
"Pakistan's growing economy can still absorb a lot more investment in telecom sector," Nokia's Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa Dr Walid Moneimne said an in exclusive interview with Business Recorder here on Thursday.
"Pakistan is a strategic country for Nokia and its partners because of two reasons - large population and growing economy - and the company plans to bring more investment to the country both in terms of revenue and technology," Dr Walid said.
Nokia top official appeared optimistic about the prospects of a further boom in Pakistan's telecom sector and voiced his company's commitment to the country's market. "This is what I am here (in Pakistan) for. We (Nokia) have a firm commitment with the country's telecom market and we want to explore further the opportunities to widen our base over here," he commented. He then spelled a programme his company wanted to launch in Pakistan immediately and for what the top official was visiting the country and meeting telecom authority.
This plan was to establish a telecommunication expertise centre in Pakistan to provide services in the region. Dr Walid Moneimne said the facility would help the country maximise telecommunication sector shares in its GDP growth. "The better mobility (telecom infrastructure development) always plays an important role in the GDP growth. This is what we want Pakistan to take advantage of," he said.
To start with, the vice president said, only one such centre would be established at Islamabad and if need was felt, the plan would also be extended to other cities. The Nokia official has been in the country for a few days to discuss the company's proposed plan with Pakistani authorities. He now plans to meet Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Walid said the company was planning to hire experienced professionals as well university students for its new project. These students, Moneimne added, would then be provided training to make them able to be the part of the world's largest telecommunication giant. "Today, Nokia announces the plan to set up the telecommunications expertise facility in Islamabad," he added.
The facility, he announced would be used for training, trials, competence development and customisation of GSM technology with core and radio networks capabilities.
Asked why Nokia preferred to establish such a centre in Pakistan rather than neighbouring India where it could have hired better professionals, Dr Walid remarked: "We want to strengthen human resource base of telecom in the country." This initiative, he added, was in line with Nokia's ongoing commitment to play an important role in the development of telecom professionals in Pakistan.
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