ISLAMABAD: Shaza Fatima Khwaja, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, has said that plans are in place to make it easier for IT businesses to send money overseas. She claims that this will allow IT exporters to easily pay their foreign vendors and suppliers.
Speaking on Monday at the HBL-P@SHA ICT Awards 2024 here, she said the awards gave students, companies, and innovators the chance to shine on global stages like the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards.
According to her, plans are in place to enable IT companies to compete on a global scale by enabling them to pay foreign vendors online without using traditional banking channels or requesting approval from the State Bank of Pakistan for each transaction.
The minister declared, “It will be a complete paradigm shift of the whole society, economy, and the government in the country,” adding that the new program to provide young smartphones will enable them to start their own businesses and engage in trade.
Ms. Khawaja emphasized that in order to maintain growth and establish Pakistan firmly on the map of global technology, IT companies must be acknowledged and supported. The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) organized the event, which included students and educational institutions that excelled in IT goods in addition to the winners of IT exports.
33 Gold Award winners and 47 Merit Award recipients were recognized by the HBL-P@SHA ICT Awards 2024 in a number of categories, including consumer, business services, inclusion & community, and student innovation.
P@SHA said that an astounding 1,198 applications were submitted this year for the awards.
P@SHA Chairman Muhammad Zohaib Khan spoke at the event, stating that the organization was advancing the nation’s digital economy by generating thousands of employment and pushing for more effective and open administration.
“The steady increase in IT exports, which came to $3.22 billion this year, is directly attributable to our efforts,” Mr. Khan stated.
Speaking at the event, Abrar Ahmed Mir, Chief Innovation & Financial Inclusion Officer at HBL, stated that the growth of Pakistan’s IT industry has been accelerated by HBL’s collaboration with P@SHA.
