IT has assumed unprecedented importance in global economic arena

Pakistan Government is according a very high priority to this sector.

For IT growth provision of a definite framework is essential. Most important is to have IT policy and action plan to cater to the needs of nurturing the industry and response to forces that can affect its future growth.

The private sector is to be brought into mainstream for growth.

a) Making the Government a facilitator and an enabler to provide maximum opportunities to the private sector to lead the thrust for development of IT in Pakistan.

b) Developing an extensive pool of trained IT manpower at all levels to meet local and export needs.

c) Providing business incentives to local and foreign investors to ensure the development of Pakistan’s IT sector (including the software, hardware and service industries) and the use of these products.

d) Setup national databases that are reliable, secure, up-to-date and easily accessible. These would be open databases.

Basic Indicators:

Population of Pakistan 159 million (July ’04)

Area: 769096 sq.km (199 persons/sq.km)

GNP: US$ 2000/person.

Main Telephone Lines:

Year Tele-density

1991 1.0% PTCL is playing a leading role

1999 2.2%

2004 2.7%

Waiting List for Telephone Lines:

15-days to 30-days

Local Telephone Network

1999 2004

Lines………………. 3.7 million 5.7 million

Digitalization……… 86% 100%

Tele-accessibility

Tele-density……….. 2.7% PTCL installed more than 1.5 million new lines since June ’97.

Increase…………… 6% per year

Telephone Tariffs

During the last three years long distance call rates have been reduced by 70%.

Telephone installation charges have been reduced by 50%.

Since August 14, 2004 (Independence day of Pakistan) from midnight to 6:00AM local calls have been declared free.

Call Charges (Pulse duration 5 minute)

Up to 25Km……….. Rs.2.00

25 to 80 Km………. Rs.4.00

80 to 160 Km……… Rs.6.50

160 Km and above… Rs.8.50

Mobile Cellular Subscriber

Mobilink……………… 800,000 customers Instaphone…………… 350,000 customers Ufone…………………. 350,000 customers PakTel……………….. 200,000 customers

Total cellular market from 0.22 million customers in 1991 to 4.3 million in 2004.

Prepaid Cellular Tariffs

Rs.865 connection charges with Rs.5.50/per minute local call.

90,000 pay phones are installed with provision of prepaid calling card system.

ISDN and ADSL

ISDN, PRA and BRA services were introduced in Pakistan under a project from 1999 to 2002 with private-entrepreneurs partnership. The government sector is involved to exploit telecom market potential for competitive and efficient services through recent introduction of ADSL technology.

International Telephone Traffic

726 M-minutes in 1998-99 to 1250 M-minutes in 2001-02. Network capacity through up-gradation of SEA-ME-WE3 from 0.4 m to 2.8 m MIU Km.

Telecommunication Staff/Revenue

Employees…………. 55421

Revenue…………… Rs.71.05 billion

Telecommunication Investment1999-2003 Projects amounting to Rs.17 billion have

been completed.2004-2006 Rs.4.5 billion have been planned.

54 foreign companies doing business in Pakistan based in the following countries:

USA, Malaysia, Canada, France, Luxembourg, China, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Germany, Egypt, Norway, UAE, Japan, Korea, Iceland and Bermuda

The total investment is in billion of Rupees.

Equipment TradeSoftware Exports: (In US$)

USA……………….. 11.061 millionNetherlands……….. 3.418 millionU.K……………….. 2.952 millionDubai……………… 2.689 million

Major exports were also to the countries like Switzerland, Austria & Saudi Arabia. Total export during 2000-2001 was US$22.114 million.

Information Technology:

Number of Internet Users:

Year Users

1995 1,500

2003 1,600,000

Cities connected with Internet:

Province No. of Cities

Punjab 1091Sindh 202NWFP 409Balochistan 220

0 500 1000 1500

Punjab

Sindh

NWFP

BalochistanCities

Total …1812

Internet Tariff 20 hours per month

Following bandwidth tariff is being provided by PTCL to the ISP:

256 Kbps = US$1,120

512 Kbps = US$1,9101024 Kbps = US$ 3,270

2 Mbit/s = US$ 5,4008 Mbit/s = US$ 19,500

34 Mbit/s = US$ 72,000Internet

Category 1999 2004Internet subscriber 0.25 million 1.6 millionCities connection with Internet 29 1,900Bandwidth (Mbits) 16.185 580No. of ISPs 68 250Fiber optics installation (Cities) 72 380

BroadcastingPakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)

PBC has 25 Radio stations which directly broadcasts more than 300 hrs of news and program of general interest in the field of information, education and entertainment specially in music and sports.

Progressive Data:

(i) No. of radios/1000 people 94 (1997)(ii) No. of telephone/1000 people 23 (2001)(iii) No. of television/1000 people 131 (2000)(iv) No. of Internet hosts/10000 people 0.78 (2001)

Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV)PTV Area Covered Population covered

PTV-1 38.00% 86.48% PTV-2 24.19% 53.83% PTV-3 20.00% 30.00%

Multi-channel TV 75 Channels

Additional IndexesHuman Resource DevelopmentHuman Resource Development is imperative for the local IT industry to position the country as an important player in the international IT market.In order to provide Pakistan with a capable IT Human Resource, the Pakistan Government embarked on a large number of short term training programmes to develop the basic computer skills of persons. A national programme to re-train unemployed science graduates, medical graduates, and engineers in IT related fields through short courses has been implemented. In addition to setting up computer labs for IT based training in universities, colleges and schools all over Pakistan, distance learning programs have also been initiated which includes the establishment of a Distance Virtual University and providing intranet connectivity to more than 56 universities for sharing of research and online collaboration.

IT EducationEducation determines, more than anything else, a country’s prospects for human development and competitiveness. Fortunately, the information revolution offers some extraordinary opportunities in education.

Implementation of IT Standards

Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) national standards body in Pakistan, has adopted all (about 15,500) ISO and 4,500 IEC Standards as Pakistan Standards including standards pertaining to Information Technology. Most of the Pakistan Standards are harmonized now with International Standards as required also by WTO to remove the barriers to Trade. This harmonization of standards in Pakistan would also make it easier for harmonization of Regional Standards. Such harmonization and networking would promote trade in global market.

NAMES OF THE ORGANISATIONSBEFORE MERGER

-- Pakistan Standards Institution (PSI)

-- Central Testing Laboratories (CTL)

-- Metal Industry & Research Development Centre (MIRDC)

NAMES OF PSQCACENTRES AFTER

MERGER

-- Standards Development Centre (SDC)

-- Quality Control Centre (QCC)

-- Technical Services Centre (TSC)

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF PAKISTAN STANDARDS AND QUALITY CONTROL AUTHORITY (PSQCA)

1. Provision of one-window services for Standardization and Quality Control.

2. Setting up of standards on quality and dimensions, preparation and promotion of general adoption of Pakistan Standard Specifications, operation of Certification Marks system and coordination of the efforts of producers and users for the improvement of standardization and to provide assistance thus in the manufacture of quality products.

3. Testing and assessment of industrial raw materials and finished products to establish their quality grade and composition with reference to national or international standard specifications of quality in various fields like chemicals, chemical products and formulations, textile, food items, building materials, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic goods and appliances etc., and provision of consultancy services to industrial units in regard to the improvement of quality of their products.

PAKISTAN STANDARD MARKA PSQCA licensed manufacturer would display

following related Pakistan Standard Number and the PS Mark on packing.

No person shall use PS Mark except under a license issued from PSQCA. Any person contravening the

provisions of Authority under various sections could be punished by imprisonment to one year or fine of

atleast Rs.50,000/= or both

SEMINAR & SYMPOSIAPSQCA in order to create quality awareness among masses, has been engaged in arranging seminar/workshops throughout the country:

Seminar held on 2002 in Karachi chaired by Honourable Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman.

A workshop of ACD countries on ‘Conceptual Framework for Institutional Cooperation in the Field of Standards among ACD countries’ was held in Karachi on 31st May – 1st June, 2004 with the collaboration of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PSQCA in order to promote quality consciousness among the consumers from time to time arranges talk shows through print &electronic media.

Advertisements from time to time are published in newspapers in order to familiarize the people with Pakistan Standard Mark as Sign of Quality.

Supplements are published on World Standard Day (14th October) each year.

INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN1. Population: 159.196 million

2. Gross Area: 796096 Sq. km

3. Climate: Mostly hot, dry desert, temperate in North West, arctic in North

4. Capital: Islamabad

5. Race: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch.

6. Religion: Muslim 97%, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Parsi

7. Main Language: Urdu

8. Literacy Rate: 45.7%

INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN9. Main Industry: Textile, Food Processing,

Beverages, Leather, Construction Materials, Clothing and Paper Products.

10.Main Export Textile (Garments, Cotton, Cloth Material: and Yarn), Rice, Leather, other

Agriculture Products

11.Exports (US$): 12.313 billion

12. Imports (US$): 15.592 billion

13.Currency: Pakistan Rupee (PKR)14.Exchange Rate PKR 59.05 (Sept’04)

with US$: