Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that his government was working hard to promote Information Technology (IT) industry in the province, therefore,it would establish Software Technology Parks in all divisional headquarters. This, he said, in a meeting he held with a delegation of the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication led by federal IT Minister AminulHaq on Monday. The delegation members included Secretary IT ShoaibSiddiqui, Chairman Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) ShahzadShahid, MD Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) Osman Nasir and others. The chief minister was assisted by Minister IT TaimoreTalpur, PSCMSajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, VC NED DrSaroshLodhi, Advisor Tax Policy SRBMushtaqKazmi and others. The visiting delegation said that during the last five years, 2014 to 2020 export remittances have increased by 137 percent from $370 million in 2014 to $1.231 billion in 2020. These I T based units include call centers, maintenance & repair of computers, hardware and software consultancy services, export of computer software etc. It was vowed that the federal government with the support of provincial governments could include Pakistan in the top 10 ICT exporting countries, if IT parks were established, tax concession granted to the IT-based industry. The meeting agreed to hold joint meetings with provincial governments to work out a joint strategy to award tax concessions and facilities to the IT based industry. The chief minister said that he would discuss IT-based industry tax regime and proposed concessions in the provincial cabinet. “My government is committed to strengthening the IT industry,” he wowed.
