Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday reiterated the government’s resolve for providing broadband facilities to all uncovered areas by next fiscal year in order to fulfil the government’s vision of financial and digital inclusion.
Addressing a contract signing ceremony of broadband facility for sustainable development in Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the minister said that government was providing Rs 12 billion subsidies during the current fiscal year, which would further add over 56,000 subscribers.
The contract was signed by the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Telenor Pakistan Limited, whereas the ceremony was also witnessed by the Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman Khan and Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf.
Ishaq Dar said that Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved Rs. 9.2 billion for the establishment of information technology park in order to tape the huge IT potential existing in the country.
The minister said that country would be ranked among the top 17theconomies of the world by 2050, and called upon the opponents to come out from their petty politics and supplement the government efforts for the socio-economic development and prosperity of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Anusha Rahman Khan said the current project was a step forward towards Prime Minister’s vision of digital Pakistan.
She said that about one million people would avail the 3G connectivity facilities and it would also play role for the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
She said that the total cost of the project was Rs4.6 billion and the government would provide 75.6 percent subsidy for the project, where as the remaining amount would be paid by the Telenor.
Anusha said so far about 4,226 uncovered mouzas were covered by the USF and other projects for the provision of broadband facilities were in progress in Balochistan. The minister said that the USF was committed to award contracts to connect all mouzas with a population of 100 people or more by the first quarter of fiscal year 2018.
