ISLAMABAD: The President and CEO of Telenor Group, Sigve Brekke, on Wednesday participated in a special virtual conversation with Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of the country’s strategic dialogues on Pakistan hosted by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In the dialogue, the Telenor Group called for greater cooperation between public and private sectors in building bridges to fill Pakistan’s significant gap in digital access. Looking at the challenges contributing to this digital divide, the Telenor Group emphasised on the need to create an environment, in which mobile operators could continue strengthening the connectivity, which is the building block of digital economy. In this context, Sigve Brekke stated that fair and predictable regulatory and taxation regimes should be necessary to improve the business climate and a key requisite for future investment in Pakistan. During the discussion, Brekke also highlighted how the global pandemic has elevated the role of connectivity and digital tools in everyday life. This critical infrastructure is offering people a lifeline as well as being an important fundamental for economic activity and recovery has been going forward. There is a danger that the digital acceleration, we have so far been experiencing, would leave some people behind. The economic impact of connectivity multiplies the greater participations; hence ensuring connectivity for all is also critical. In recognition of this, the Telenor continued to work to ensure digital inclusion for everyone in Pakistan.
