Secretary Information Technology Farooq Ahmed Awan on Thursday said that Pakistan imported mobile sets worth $1 billion and the country's telephone industries could capture a significant market share. Speaking at a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on IT, he said that his ministry had proposed import of some dismantled mobile hand sets and market them in the country after assembling.
In this way, the industry would be able to know the market response and devise its future strategy. He said that mobile set kits were imported in a knock down form because of relief in duty and assembled locally and the same practice could also be adopted by the country's industry.
The committee members regretted that the management of Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP), established soon after independence for the promotion of telecom sector, have made the organisation a burden on the national exchequer. The Managing Director of the TIP could not give a satisfactory answer for the dismal performance of the organisation whose employees, according to the committee members, have been drawing Rs 60 million monthly on account of salaries.
The Secretary IT said that the ministry was working on the revitalisation plan of the TIP by arranging a public-private-partnership. He said that the ministry also wanted to monetize assets of the TIP with an objective to lessen its burden on the national kitty. The committee directed the Secretary to come up with a plan for revitalisation of the TIP in next two weeks.