Senate panel for regulating IT firms

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s standing committee on information technology and communication has recommended to the government to form a regulatory body to regulate IT firms and take steps for collection of tax from them after having discussed the issue of selling fake degrees and diplomas by Axact.
A report on the committee meeting was presented in the Senate Wednesday by its Chairman Shahi Syed. The panel had taken up the matter after it was raised on a point of order by Leader of Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan on May 19 regarding selling of fake academic degrees and diplomas by Axact, a Pakistani software company.
The committee considered the issue in its meeting on June 18 under its Chairman Shahi Syed. It was attended by seven Senators and Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman.
Secretary IT Azmat Ali Ranjha, Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr. Ghulam Raza Bhatti, Director General FIA Akbar Hoti, Chairman Pakistan Telecom Authority Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman SECP Tahir Mehmood, Advisor SECP Abdul Rehman Qureshi, Chairman NTC Viqar Rashid Khan and LAM Muhammad Azam Waraich also attended the meeting.
After extensive discussions on the issue, the members shared their views and made two unanimous recommendations: the government may form a regulatory body to regulate IT companies in Pakistan and it should take measures for the collection of tax from IT firms.