‘Digitise Pakistan in governance, economy, and society overall govt’s vision’

ISLAMABAD: The government’s vision is to digitise Pakistan in three verticals including governance, economy, and society overall.

This was stated by Shaza Fatima Khwaja, Minister of State for IT and Telecom while addressing the 7th edition of Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit (LIIBS) jointly hosted by Nutshell Group and Unity Foods Limited.

The minister said the government would be inviting tech experts from Pakistan and from around the world to assist them and ensure transparency, ease of doing business, streamlined governance which would result in sustainable growth. By combining resources, expertise, and perspectives, private and government sector collaborations can leverage the strengths of both sectors to address the complex challenges and opportunities of rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Hatem Bamatraf, president and CEO, PTCL Group focused on digitization for Pakistan and the resulting connectivity as an expedited route to development. An empowered telecommunication infrastructure, he stated, is pivotal to progress, as it must be the central force for all other industries. “Pakistan can benefit from the industrial revolution, being the 5th most populous country in the world, and with 60 per cent of its population being youth, it can leverage this demographic dividend.”

Lasha Tabidze, VEON Group’s Digital Operations and Performance Officer said Jazz is strengthening Pakistan’s digital ecosystem in key areas including fintech, cloud services, and data analytics with an overall investment crossing $10.6 billion. As a pioneer in converged connectivity and digital services, driving digitalization virtually across all sectors of the economy and empowering people with digital lifestyles, Jazz, a VEON Group company, remains at the forefront of accelerating Pakistan’s digital economy, Tabidze added.

VEON is a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and digital services to nearly 160 million customers in six dynamic markets that are home to seven percent of the world’s population.

Tabidze emphasized Pakistan’s potential for digital growth, citing the country’s 64 percent youth population below 30 years old and its position as one of the largest players in the global freelancing industry. With a teledensity reaching approximately 80 percent and mobile broadband penetration at 55 percent, Pakistan stands as fertile ground for a purpose-driven organization like Jazz to bridge digital divides with impactful, life-enriching solutions, he said.

Ali Naseer, Chief Data and Strategy Officer of Jazz, said that in an era where data is the new oil. Jazz, Pakistan’s largest data lake, is pioneering a revolution, tapping into the vast reserves of information to fuel a transformative journey with AI.

Ali also explained Jazz’s approach to AI, emphasizing that for Jazz, AI is more about Augmented Intelligence than Artificial. “Our new focus at Jazz is pioneering the use of Augmented Intelligence, ensuring that our AI-driven initiatives enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. This philosophy holds particular significance in a diverse and expansive market like Pakistan, where technology should empower every segment of society, from urban entrepreneurs to rural farmers,” he noted.

Ali elaborated on AI-ready governance and its application across customer experience and network management, as well as the potential of indigenous Gen AI solutions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024