US IT company team calls on PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan’s IT talented workforce has the capability to compete at the global market while all necessary facilities were being provided to IT companies to achieve the target of $25 billion in exports.

The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with a four-member delegation led by Jerome Kapelus, CEO of the renowned American multinational IT company, Afiniti that called on him, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister welcomed Afiniti’s interest in further investment in Pakistan’s IT sector and suggested to Afiniti Pakistan to establish a world-class call center in the country for national and international clients.

He further informed that he was personally overseeing programmes to equip the country’s talented youth with IT, AI, and other advanced technical skills.

Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja and senior officials from the relevant institutions were also present during the meeting.

The delegation appreciated the expertise of Pakistani IT professionals and their dedication to the sector’s development.

Jerome Kapelus said that Pakistan’s IT sector was highly suitable for investment and business and currently, more than 1,000 highly skilled and capable Pakistani professionals were working at Afiniti Pakistan.

He further said that Pakistani youth possessed immense potential to contribute to the growth of the IT sector, adding Afiniti’s success in the region was due to Pakistan’s professional and well-trained workforce.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday here held a review meeting of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Speaking during the meeting, he said agriculture was the backbone of the country’s economy. The government would provide all facilities for the progress of agriculture sector and for increasing agricultural production, he said adding, the services of young agriculture researchers from across the country would be hired for the progress of the agriculture sector.

He directed that strict action should be initiated as soon as possible against the companies involved in the business of substandard crop seeds.

He instructed that steps to increase edible oil production in Pakistan should be speeded up so that precious foreign exchange spent on edible oil import should be saved.

He said research work in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) should be expedited. He further directed that farm mechanization should be promoted all over the country in collaboration with the provincial governments, private sector and other stakeholders.

Steps should be taken to train youth regarding value-added products made from fruits and vegetables, he said, adding measures should also be taken for the provision of easy agriculture loans to youth. He said all matters related to dissolution of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) should be expedited.

He expressed satisfaction at the strategy prepared for digitalization of supply chain from farm to port to facilitate exports of agricultural products.

The meeting was briefed about the plans to enhance agricultural exports. It was told that establishment of National Agri Trade and Food Safety Authority was in the final stages.

A laboratory for testing of agricultural produce in line with the European Union and international level standards was established in HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry in University of Karachi.

A National Ministerial Forum on Agriculture was formed to increase coordination between the federal and provincial governments in the agriculture sector.

The draft for national policies on seeds, agriculture biotechnology and organic food was at different stages of approval. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanvir Hussain, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzaib, Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Tauqir Shah, Governor State Bank Jamil Ahmed, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Arshad Langrial and high level officials attended the meeting.