Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Amin-Ul-Haque, has revealed that he has been directed to formulate a work plan on ‘Smartphone for All’, through which the Pakistani cell phone consumers will soon be able to obtain smartphones and mobiles with data packages on installments.
He was talking to the media on the occasion of Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC22) in Barcelona.
The four-day conference, being held under the aegis of GSM Association, aims to develop strategies for enhancing mobile connectivity around the world and increasing access to communication technology for the common man. It also aims to benefit from experiences and observations of one another. Representatives of governments and telecommunication companies from around the world are attending the conference.
In a press briefing held earlier at the Pakistani Consulate in Barcelona, the Federal Minister said it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a mobile manufacturing policy was formulated and approved by the cabinet and Parliament. Mobile sets are not only being manufactured in Pakistan but they are also being exported, he underlined
To a question, Syed Amin-ul-Haq said he had reservations over the imposition of taxes on mobile phones imported from abroad for personal use and the repeated collection of taxes on one phone.
The Minister said the government was working on resolving the issues of overseas Pakistanis and giving them the right to vote. He hoped that overseas Pakistanis would be able to exercise their voting right through the internet in the next general elections.
Regarding the Mobile World Congress, he said four Pakistani companies participated in the event last year, while the number of participating companies reached nine this year.
He said that the steps taken by Pakistan for improvement in connectivity were highlighted in the most important ministerial session of the event, while the Digital Pakistan Vision was discussed in detail.
He said he held meetings with Ministers from many countries in Barcelona as well as with representatives of international IT companies, global telecommunication companies, and World Bank officials who lauded Pakistan for being an investment-friendly country.