ISLAMABAD, May 29 (APP): President Pakistan Businessmen and
Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain Monday lauded the
government for announcing steps in the budget which will expand IT
sector.
He said decisions would attract local and foreign investment,
expand GDP and result in job opportunities, said a press
release here.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that many Pakistani companies had
done very well locally and on the international level while giving
tax exemption to the new companies for three years which would result in
expansion.
He said that decision to establish IT park in Islamabad at a
cost of six billion rupees and allocation of twenty billion rupees
for laptop and youth programme were laudable moves.
Allocation of Rs 200 million for e-gateway would strengthen
mobile banking, upgrade skills of IT professionals and boost SMEs
working in this field, he added.
The business leader said that IT companies working in
Islamabad had been exempted from sales tax on exports which was a
good move but the same facility should be extended to the companies
operating in Lahore and Karachi.
Moreover, the provincial governments should also consider
giving relaxations to this sector, he demanded.
Reduction in duty on telecom equipment would trigger upgradation while
reduction of WHT on mobile calls was also a good move, he added.