[ 15 March 2001 ] CommerceNet Inc. Delegation to Visit CommerceNet Singapore on 18-19 March 2001
March 15, 2001[ 25 March 2001 ]ITCN Asia 2001 International Conference ends with a Grand Gala Dinner at Sindh Governor’s House
March 25, 2001CommerceNet Singapore (CNSG) Chief Executive Officer’s address to delegates of ITCN Asia 2001 was released today ahead of the event. The text of his address is given below:
“ITCN Asia 2001 event is a successful joint-organisation of an international event by IT & Telecom Division, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of Pakistan; CommerceNet Singapore (CNSG); Ecommerce Gateway Singapore and US Publishers (Jamal’s Yellow Pages) of Pakistan.”
“The event has the crucial support from our host, Sindh IT Board and the very influential Punjab IT Board. The endorsements by Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the World Bank have given the event a strong booster. More importantly, sponsorships by local and international companies had put ITCN Asia 2001 firmly on track. The availability of media exposure and the unselfish moves by companies that had come forward to support the event has made ITCN Asia 2001 a catalyst for IT initiatives in Pakistan.”
“Technology is fast changing our economic viewpoint by forcing on us the harsh reality of global competition. This need not be a bad thing, as it had on the other hand, stimulated our true growth potential. Opportunities for new skills are required to sustain the new growth impetus. Dynamic changes in the regional economic landscape have forced many companies to review their policies, strategies and heightened the necessity to have constant alertness complete with evolving business models in order to remain relevant. In this context, local and international companies are seizing the opportunity to showcase some of their more excellent products and services.”
“We are seeing the emerging core-competency of Pakistan in the form of highly talented IT professionals with very creative ideas. They are concentrated in some of the more important technology clusters in the country. Pakistan cities of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad are fast being transformed into hot beds of technology initiatives. The physical environment is also evidently improving to attract and retain talents. New IT Park initiatives are being announced and implemented. What is required now is to encourage unlimited interactions of these talents with the global IT communities.”
“CNSG is a strong believer in promoting visa-free travel within Asia for IT professionals. The right talent should be seen as a ‘passport’ and also ‘nationality-blind’. CNSG encourages talent to move more freely between countries, especially on short-term visits for project assignments. We are already seeing the first steps being taken towards such easier travel for Asian IT workers. Singapore and Malaysia are setting up an electronic passport system that will make moving between the countries much easier in the future. The same could be done for Pakistan.”
“Karachi’s strategic location is now gaining importance as an IT hub for the whole of Central Asia and Middle East. With its new exposition hall and good infrastructure, Karachi is fast becoming the preferred trading and regional hub. The city will complement a broader ‘IT Belt’ comprising of key IT hub cities in Asian countries, which would feature easier flow of capital and opened markets within the region.”
“CNSG is a not-for profit global organisation promoting e-business, establishing global interoperability, and common e-commerce platform to enhance trade regionally. We are keen to promote new e-businesses initiatives in Pakistan in co-operation with e-commerce related groups locally. We hope to secure your continued support in our future initiatives.”