ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the completion of the Information Technology Park project would help boost the country’s exports in this sector and be a significant milestone in achieving the $25 billion IT exports target.

The prime minister, while chairing a meeting to review ongoing IT projects, digitisation efforts, and initiatives to boost IT exports, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the IT Park project in Islamabad.

He instructed officials to consult with Korean experts to explore ways to reduce the project’s completion timeline, according to a press release issued by the PM Office’s Media Wing.

The meeting was informed that construction on the IT Park project was progressing rapidly, with the Korean company revising its completion deadline to February 2025, from the previously announced June 2025.

Capital Development Authority teams were conducting regular site visits to monitor and oversee the project’s progress.

The meeting was attended by ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Atta­ullah Tarar, Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khaw­aja, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Jehanzaib Khan, PM’s coordinators Malik Mukhtar Bharath and Rana Ahsan Afzal and relevant senior officials.

Orders 50pc public cargo shift to Gwadar Port

Cargo shift

Prime Minister Shehbaz on Monday instructed the concerned authorities to bring 50 per cent of all public sector cargo inland via sea through Gwadar Port.

The prime minister issued the directives while chairing a review meeting on Chinese investment in Pakistan, where he was briefed on the visit of a Chinese experts’ delegation to the country from July 30 to August 6.

The meeting was informed that the Chinese delegation met representatives of various ministries who gave suggestions regarding increasing cooperation in related fields.

During the visit of the delegation, significant progress was made in terms of cooperation and investment in the fields of trade and investment, energy, agriculture, information technology, communication and infrastructure.

The meeting was informed that services of Chinese experts would be hired to increase domestic exports and eliminate non-trade barriers. Shows on different sectors will be organised in different cities of China to increase exports of Pakistani products.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024