IN SHORT: multi-lingual online dictionary software
January 31, 2008
HYDERABAD (January 28 2008): The Final year students of the Institute of Information Technology (IIT) University of Sindh (SU) have developed different software projects including multi-language Online Dictionary, which was displayed in the exhibition on Wednesday at IIT Multimedia Centre, Jamshoro Campus. The software projects would help the multinational companies and industry of the country. The group of four students who developed a project on Multi Language Online Dictionary with access of 150 languages informed that multi-language dictionary would help the Internet users and with all the material in different languages available on internet, the users can get benefit by using the dictionary.
Intel Pakistan, IT department NWFP sign MoU
December 6, 2007
PESHAWAR (December 06 2007): The Intel Pakistan Corporation and Department of Information Technology, NWFP, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promotion of computer education at school and college levels in the province. The memorandum was signed by the representatives of Intel Pakistan Corporation and the Department of IT NWFP at a simple ceremony at a local hotel. [Read more]
Telecom sector is major contributor in generating revenue: Owais
November 21, 2007
Former federal minister for Information and Technology, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has said that telecom sector is a major contributor in generating revenues for the government in the form of taxes, duties and regulatory charges.
During the year 2006-07, the sector contributed Rs 36.3 billion, which was 27 percent of total domestic GST and 9 percent of total indirect tax collection. Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday on his way to Dera Ghazi Khan, he said that he had performed his duties as minister honestly and strengthened the information technology and telecom sector.
He said that in 2006-07, cellular mobile companies deposited Rs 17.3 billion in the form of Withholding Tax and over Rs 17 billion as an Activation Tax of which 66 percent has been paid by the two companies, Mobilink and Telenor, which are the fastest growing companies in the sector.
It is estimated that if the government reduces the amount of Activation Tax to Rs 250, tax collection from cellular mobile sector will increase by about 32 percent in just one year. In 2005-06 sales tax collection from the sector was Rs 27 billion, which rose by about 35 percent in just one year. Five years back, government collected Rs 11 billion from the sector in the form of GST.
During 2006-07 total revenue collected by the government in the form of taxes and regulatory fee was more than Rs 100 billion which is about 30 percent higher than the previous year. Indirect Tax in the form of GST/CED is the major share in the total government collection from telecom sector, which was Rs 26 billion in 2005-06 and its share in total was 34 percent.
Optees of VSS not to be reemployed in PTCL
November 16, 2007
ISLAMABAD (November 16 2007): The government has imposed ban on re-employment of those employees of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) who will opt for Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS), informed sources told Business Recorder.
“The Ministry of Information Technology will ensure that optees who are granted voluntary separation will not be re-employed by PTCL,” the sources quoted Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) as giving directions to the Privatisation Commission.
The sources said that GoP share of VSS would be available to only those optees who apply within 60 days of the launching of the scheme. Under the Sale Purchase Agreement (SPA) and Share Holders Agreement (SHA) between GoP and Etisalat International Pakistan (EIP), the new management of PTCL has the right to offer voluntary retirement or departure to the employment and GoP was committed to pay 50 percent gross expenses.
Prior to its privatisation, PTCL had also signed an agreement with the CBA unions providing for VSS for employees. The PTCL-specific VSS developed by consultants was approved by the company’s board and was placed for discussions in a series of meetings of the PC board, Ministries of Information Technology, Finance and Privatisation held between 14 and 24 September 2007.
The scheme was projected to cost Rs 34.858 billion, assuming that 60 percent of the employees avail this package. The share of GoP will be Rs 17.429 billion to be paid out of the privatisation proceeds.
About two months proposed time for acceptance of the package by the employees, the sources said that PTCL may take its time in implementation of the scheme. However, the government would honour its commitment of sharing 50 per cent cost of VSS towards those employees who opt for the scheme within two months of its announcement, the sources added.
The sources said that the Ministry of Labour and Manpower had not been consulted while developing the scheme, adding that concerns were also expressed regarding rights of the PTCL contract workers. In response, it was pointed out that the VSS was a voluntary scheme for only the regular employees of PTCL and had nothing to do with the handsomely paid contract workers governed by separate rules.
Shaukat Aziz, who was chairing the meeting, expressed the hope that privatisation policy, being the hallmark of the present government would realise its primary objective of instilling efficiency in the commercial and utility organisations and would ultimately benefit the common man.
After detailed discussion, the sources said that the CCoP decided that 50 per cent amount of total cost amounting to Rs 17.429 billion be borne by GoP as provided in SHA on actual basis.
Disbursement from time to time would be subject to audit, compliance to mechanism defined in SHA and reports would be provided to the Ministry of Information Technology and PC. The sources said that the PC will provide money for PTCL VSS.
Govt to pay half of PTCL staff layoff cost
November 15, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: The government will pay over Rs17 billion out of public money as 50 per cent share of Rs35 billion layoff cost of rendering more than 29,000 employees of Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited jobless through voluntary separation scheme (VSS).
A decision to this effect was taken at a recent meeting of the cabinet committee on privatisation (CCOP), led by the outgoing Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, who advised the relevant quarters that “press handling and employee handling of the scheme may be discreetly and effectively choreographed,” to avoid unrest and backlash, reveals official record.
This will be the country’s single biggest layoff and highest payment to be made out of public money, technically called privatisation proceeds.
The military authorities had recently expressed concern over increased Indian ingress in Pakistan’s communications system as a result of PTCL privatisation early last year.
Interestingly, the ministry of labour and manpower, which is responsible for country’s workforce, was never consulted during the process of development of the VSS agreed to by the ministries of information technology, finance and privatisation with the PTCL management – Etisalat of UAE.
Some members of the CCOP protested during the meeting for bypassing the labour ministry and others expressed concern regarding rights of the contract workers of the PTCL, a senior government official confirmed.
The record suggests that the government has “projected to cost Rs34.858 billion, assuming that 60 per cent of the employees would avail this package.” The share of government of Pakistan will be Rs17.429 billion to be paid out of privatisation proceeds on actual basis, audited and confirmed by the ministries of privatisation and IT.
Under the sales purchase agreement and shareholders agreement, the management had been given the ‘right by the government in April 2006 to offer voluntary retirement or departure to the employees and the GOP was committed to pay 50 per cent of gross expenses.”
However, the government will honour its commitment of sharing 50 per cent cost of VSS towards those employees who opt for the scheme within two months of its announcement.
The prime minister also instructed the ministry of information technology to ensure that employees opting VSS do not join the PTCL again on fresh contracts.
All regular PTCL employees are eligible for the VSS scheme, but the PTCL management reserves the legal right to accept or reject any application without any explanation.
Although, both the government and the PTCL management continue to claim that the scheme would be totally voluntary, agreed to with the CBA union and that nobody would be forced to leave the company, most of the employees contacted by Dawn suggest that an environment of uncertainty has been created to volunteer their consent. They said after adjustment of their loans and other liabilities, most of the employees would take home negligible amounts to survive.
The VSS package envisages a severance pay for BPS-16 and below workers at the rate of length of service multiplied by six up to a maximum of 120 basic pays or moths of service remaining multiplied by 1.5, whichever is lower.
For officials of BPS-17 and above, the severance pay would be equal to length of service multiplied by four and up to a maximum of 90 basic pays or months of service remaining multiplied by 1.5, whichever is lower.
In addition, all the employees of grade 16 and below and less than the age of 55 years would also be paid a separation bonus of Rs300,000 per head for less than 10 years of service and Rs450,000 per head for service between 10 and 20 years. Moreover, all employees with less than 20 years of service would be given other benefit cost payout of Rs220,000 for grade 16 and below and 1.5 basic per year for 10 years.
All employees would also be paid leave encashment for up to 96 days of emoluments for less than 20 years of service and up to 180 days for more than 20 years of service.
The annual increments will also be included in the final VSS settlement and the employees with a minimum 20 years service would be paid gross pension calculated with addition of five years and increased by 7.5 per cent for all employees while net pension and commutation would be based on enhanced gross pension.
The sources said the management will distribute option forms to all the employees on a 100 per cent basis with a deadline of 60 days to respond after which no request would be entertained. Likewise, request once made would not be allowed to be withdrawn.Meanwhile, the PTCL has signed a memorandum with Technical and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) for imparting technical and vocational training to the employees who would be opting for the VSS package.
Govt to establish IT Park for Rs 406.05 million
November 8, 2007
ISLAMABAD: Keeping in view the importance of Information Technology (IT), the government has plan to establish a state of the art IT Park that would provide IT enabled office space and other facilities to IT companies. The project will cost Rs 406.05 million.
Officials in the ministry of Information Technology told Daily Times here on Wednesday that all set to develop the IT Park at Chak Shahzad, National Park Area Islamabad. [Read more]
Online shopping makes life easier
October 8, 2007
ISLAMABAD (October 08 2007): The trend of online shopping has made shopping easier for the people as they could buy any thing sitting at their homes through visiting websites.
Online shopping has become common in the society, as it is popular mainly due to its speed and ease of use. Online shopping has become an everyday pastime in most of the countries.
Online shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the Internet. An online shop, e-shop, e-store, Internet shop, webshop or online store evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services in a shopping mall. [Read more]
IT projects worth billions of rupees hit snags
September 16, 2007
Hyderabad: Sept 16: projects worth billion of rupees for computerization of different government departments have run into snags as the service and general administration department (Sand GAD) is least interested in posting computer literate official in the ministry source the ministry revealed on Sunday the source said that the countless number of representation and summaries sent by information technology of the ministry on the transfer on the official and purchases of paraphernalia including vehicle were withheld by the S&GAD for inexplicable reasons putting certain projects in doldrums.
About a half dozen projects including e-policing worth Rs.950 million automation of advocate General (AG) of sindh High court (SHC) worth Rs. 55 million, Rs.140 million project of civil Karachi (CHK) Rs.27.5 million projects of e-government sukhur were projects which the IT ministry had undertaken, the source said. Project Rs.300 were to be utilized in the current fiscal year but so far only Rs.70 million had been released to the ministry, the source disclosed. [Read more]
IT A Key Driver of Economic Growth, Says Aziz
August 12, 2007
KARACHI, Aug 11: Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz said on Friday that the government consider information technology a key driver of economic growth and has created an enabling environment over the last few years.
This, he said, has resulted in tremendous expansion, value addition and employment generation.
He was talking to a delegation comprising corporate leader’s authors, researchers and venture capitalists from various Pakistan to attend a conference in Karachi arranged by the Pakistan software export board (PSEB), a statement said.
The meeting was held here at the Governor’s House on Friday night. The prime minister said that Pakistan companies are well positioned to become active contribution to the global Knowledge economy where globalization, continuous change and information flow are re-inventing the rules of the game.
This, he said, is a unique opportunity for corporate leaders in Pakistan to interact with global leaders of the knowledge economy. Highlighting the achievements of the government for the growth of information and communication technology, he said the reforms in information technology and telecom sector where underpinned by liberalization, privantisation, deregulation and transparency.
Elaborating the rapid growth in the telecom sector, he said that tele-density has increased from three percent in 2000 to 40 per cent in 2007.
The total number of fixed and mobile subscribers, he said has reached 67 million, with a major contribution coming from the mobile sector. Pakistan has already crossed the Asian connectivity average, surpassing India and Sri Lanka, and is close to china, he added. Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz said the telecom sector attracted foreign investment for license $9 billion during the last five years and another $4 billion is expected by 2010.
Explaining the incentives given to foreign investors in Pakistan the prime minister said up to 100 per cent equity ownership, 100 per cent repatriation of profits and corporate tax exemption on IT export till 2016 are the salient features of the government’s policy.
Owing to incentives and pro-grammes as well as the availability of a large pool of English speaking technical man power, Mr. Aziz said Pakistan offers a tremendous competitive advantage for the corporate sector.
There was also attended by sindh government Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan federal minter for information technology Awais Khan Leghari , Minister of state for information technology Ishaq Khan khakwani, secretary IT and the PSEB managing director.