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| November 22, 2005 | Tuesday | Shawwal 19, 1426 |
IT firms asked to explore eastern markets
ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: Minister of Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Monday urged the country’s IT companies to expand its outreach to eastern markets, such as Australia and New Zealand, to promote their products and services besides forging mutually-beneficial partnerships with leading IT players.
He was speaking to a delegation comprising representatives of eight Pakistani IT companies which left on a business trip to Australia and New Zealand.
The delegation will be visiting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne on their visit to Australia. The group will also participate in the annual meeting of the Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Association (ASOCIO) which is being held in Auckland, New Zealand from November 24 to 26.
ASOCIO is a grouping of all IT associations of the Asia Pacific region, and Pakistan is making a bid to host the 2006 event in Karachi.
Mr Leghari said the economic policies set out by the prime minister clearly envisaged a ‘look east’ strategy and the government was doing all it could to promote trade and commerce, especially cooperation in the IT sector with the far-eastern countries.
He said the trip was part of marketing strategy being followed by the Pakistan Software Export Board, which was seeking to provide broader exposure to the Pakistani IT industry by helping them participate in international exhibitions and meet potential customers on their home ground.
He said Pakistan’s IT sector was growing aggressively which reflected in the proceeds against last year’s IT exports recorded at an all time high of $48.5 million, with the target for fiscal year 2005-06 being set for $72 million.
Results from the first quarter were encouraging, raising hopes that the target for the whole year would be met comfortably, the minister said.
He said exploration of new markets was a key to growth of the IT sector. Most exports of IT and IT-enabled services from Pakistan were to the US or UK though the Australian market was also among the most dynamic in the region, he added.
The minister lauded the support extended by the Pakistan High Commission in Australia for the support in terms of setting up business meetings with key Australian IT players.
“We are particularly pleased with the proactive manner in which the commercial counsellors in our various missions abroad respond to our requests for supporting such business delegations,” he added.
Ms Jehan Ara, who is leading the delegation, said Pakistan was slowly but surely making itself heard at the regional level.
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