The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the government to encourage local computer assemblers by giving them due share in all its purchases as self reliance will remain a dream until and unless involvement of local industry in fully ensured.
The LCCI Acting President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Computer Association here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday. President Pakistan Computer Association Ibrahim Qureshi, Vice President Mohammad Musa, General Secretary Arif Naseem, LCCI Vice President Sohail Azhar and former President Mohammad Ali Mian also spoke on the occasion.
Elaborating the point, the LCCI Acting President said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry had already requested the Punjab government for changes in PPRA rules regarding a certain share of local computer assemblers in all IT related purchases. The LCCI Acting President also demanded that the government take back 16 per cent General Sales Tax on import of software as computer software is an educational tool and no nation can achieve progress and prosperity without having sufficient knowledge of modern technology and techniques.
The LCCI Acting President said that computer industry has unprecedented importance in the global economy and is regarded as its fourth pillar. In Pakistan, the Private sector is contributing as the main driver of growth in this industry. It is a fact that importance of the industry has always been acknowledged at official level and the government has also expressed a strong resolve to take steps for the promotion of the industry but the ground realities say otherwise.
“Despite the poor computer density in Pakistan, the private sector has made huge efforts to streamline the sector which is a backbone of the national economy. As a result of this hard work Pakistan has achieved a certain level of success over the years but the sudden slowdown has created a panic in the market which needs to be addressed by the government”, Shekh Mohammad Arshad said.
He added that Turkey has exempted its Computer industry from GST, import duty and corporate income tax. Vietnam has given its computer industry exemption from GST and import duty besides a four years exemption of corporate income tax and relaxation in personal income tax ranging from 3 to 35 per cent. Thailand and Malaysia have also offered similar sort of incentives to their industry which is being translated into steady growth of this sector in these countries.
He said that many countries have taken concrete steps to rejuvenate their stagnated industrial base by rapidly moving to the new-age technologies to produce products and services that are in great demand in the world markets. Information technology is the current choice of many developing and developed countries to upgrade their economies and become competitive in the global market place.
The LCCI President said that Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has never faltered on keeping its members aware of the challenges faced by the business community of Pakistan in the wake of cut-throat competition from our regional competitors such as China and India. Speaking on the occasion, the President Pakistan Computer Association, Ibrahim Qureshi lauded the efforts of LCCI for the promotion of Information Technology and said that in the international market demand for computer programmers was increasing with every passing day but Pakistan was only suffering for want of any solid strategy in this regard.
He said that Pakistani experts are second to none in the world and a little attention by the government could help Pakistan earn much needed foreign exchange. Ibrahi Qureshi also congratulated the LCCI Acting President for organizing matchless and successful Lahore Shopping Festival (LSF).
