Country Manager, Microsoft Kamal Ahmad, has said the foreign investors are not taking interest to commence research work in IT sector and Pakistan is missing huge investment opportunity because of software piracy. He was speaking in a workshop on "Countering Software Piracy as a Social and Economic Issue" held at local hotel on Tuesday.
He said software piracy is a big hurdle in the way of progress of our society in general and IT sector in specific and added that presently around 84 percent pirated software are being used in Pakistan. Kamal said that if it is cut down to 66 percent in the next four years, around 12,000 new jobs would be created in the IT sector and urged media professional to play their due role in this regard.
Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director of Oxford University Press, Salman Siddiqui, Genuine Software Manager, Microsoft Pakistan, Amar Naseer, Anti Counterfeit and Infringement Forum (ACIF) also spoke on the occasion.
They said that software piracy is a global problem, providing huge losses of over $40 billion annually. In Pakistan, the productive sector is bearing the brunt of massive use of pirated and untaxed software. A mere 10 percent decrease in piracy rate in the country can contribute $163 million to GDP and raise $23 million in additional income to the government.
They further said that increased use of legitimate software would also promote a better environment for foreign companies to invest in Pakistan besides inspiring entrepreneurship in IT sectors, resulting in higher software exports as well as a greater market share in the business process outsourcing industry.