PQA 'Silicon Valley' can attract $ 20 billion foreign investment
KARACHI (October 26 2005): The land of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and its vicinity is capable to attract around $20 billion foreign investment, which will also generate about $8 billion revenue from exports annually.
Sources told Business Recorder that the land is ideal for computer and hi-tech manufacturers and online services like business processes outsourcing (BPOs).
In the past, a survey conducted by a foreign company showed that a 'silicon valley' in the proximity of Port Qasim could attract huge foreign investment, if the authority could develop modern infrastructure, which is required for grabbing potential foreign investment in information technology sector and allied services.
Sources said that the survey also indicated that the land is suitable and could cater future IT demands by establishing manufacturing units for computer hardware companies and software houses.
It is further suggested that the huge area of PQA would be converted into big software houses and IT Universities with research faculties.
Some IT companies of neighbouring country are planning to establish 'disaster management' systems for their clients abroad and the PQA land as well as vicinity is ideal to help building such centres.
Sources said that the infrastructure should be designed and made available for this purpose to grab the attention of such companies to consider shifting at PQA.
The area of Port Qasim, which is lying vacant for a long period, could be allotted to well-known international computer hardware manufacturer and software houses which could generate million of dollars.
In this regard, the authority has to draw a plan to market it in a professional manner that would eventually benefit the port and help increasing employment opportunities and transfer-of-technology in the country.
The valley could become hub for providing high-tech demand of Middle East and Central Asian countries.
The port planners said that some other places had been considered several times to develop as a trading hub for Central Asia and Middle Eastern countries, but this needed high volume of investment in the building of infrastructure.
But the PQA could easily build infrastructure in fast pace due its proximity with a metropolis instead of other location sans many facilities to set up a silicon valley.
Sources said the PQA has already become industrial zone as vehicle assembling plant, paint industry, plastic-manufacturing industry and polymer industry are already operating in the area.
Full Version: Port Qasim's Silicon Valley Can Attract $20bn Fdi
Karachi Port Precinct Could Attract US$20 BLN IT Investment
PPI (Pakistan Press International)
KARACHI, Oct 27 Asia Pulse - The land of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and its vicinity is capable to attract around US$20 billion foreign investment, which will also generate about $8 billion revenue from exports annually. This was disclosed by a survey conducted by a foreign company recently.
It said a 'Silicon Valley' in the proximity of Port Qasim could attract huge foreign investment, if the authority could develop modern infrastructure, which is required for grabbing potential foreign investment in the information technology sector and allied services.
The land is suitable and could cater for future IT demands by establishing manufacturing units for computer hardware companies and software houses, it added.
Some IT companies of neighbouring country are planning to establish 'disaster management' systems for their clients abroad and the PQA land as well as vicinity is ideal to help building such centres, further asserted by survey report.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/051027/3/wjig.html
PPI (Pakistan Press International)
KARACHI, Oct 27 Asia Pulse - The land of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and its vicinity is capable to attract around US$20 billion foreign investment, which will also generate about $8 billion revenue from exports annually. This was disclosed by a survey conducted by a foreign company recently.
It said a 'Silicon Valley' in the proximity of Port Qasim could attract huge foreign investment, if the authority could develop modern infrastructure, which is required for grabbing potential foreign investment in the information technology sector and allied services.
The land is suitable and could cater for future IT demands by establishing manufacturing units for computer hardware companies and software houses, it added.
Some IT companies of neighbouring country are planning to establish 'disaster management' systems for their clients abroad and the PQA land as well as vicinity is ideal to help building such centres, further asserted by survey report.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/051027/3/wjig.html
Insha-Allah.
WILL..........CAN............SHOULD..............WOULD............all big time dreams.........so plz ........if you dont have anything mentioning that Tendors have been issued..............that dont believe that crap jargon ........
QUOTE(applepie @ Oct 27 2005, 07:20 PM)
Insha-Allah.
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yes. but i would'nt be surprised if indians try to talk them out of the deal.
QUOTE(Prokiller @ Oct 27 2005, 12:57 PM)
WILL..........CAN............SHOULD..............WOULD............all big time dreams.........so plz ........if you dont have anything mentioning that Tendors have been issued..............that dont believe that crap jargon ........
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You stole words
the real silicon valley probably started out as a 'could' also. it was executed properly that it became so successful. theres no reason why this cannot be executed properly if the right people take care of it. its high time for us to aim high and achieve something rather than maintain a sickening and depressing attitude of looking only for 'tendors.'
Why don't we have realistic plans??
QUOTE(oracle @ Oct 28 2005, 03:08 PM)
Why don't we have realistic plans??
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For a country of 170m people, with lots of I.T talent, why isn't this realistic enough ?
QUOTE(Sultan @ Oct 28 2005, 07:42 PM)
For a country of 170m people, with lots of I.T talent, why isn't this realistic enough ?
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Enough of this talent crap. In this country of 170m, atleast one third people are below the poverty line(by Pakistani standards which are well below the international ones; If you consider those then probably 60% is below the poverty line meaning they cannot afford a proper diet of food let alone education and that too to compete with the international workforce).
At best only 1% of the population has access to quality education, and majority of those are quitting the country and looking for a future abroad. Pakistan has fallen way behind the world in this IT and information age race. When the world(including India) was in a micro-chip race, we were busy with the Afghan war and drugs. Now the world has entered into the Nanotech; The future of the IT will be decided by who masters this tech first. As far as I know, there is not a single microtech research/development company in Pak, and Nanotech is basically unheard of. Also if we are eyeing the BPO, IPO business, there are countries such as India, China, Phillipines etc. which are decades ahead of us in that infrastructure as well. I doubt if this market would ever increase to what our "source" believe, let alone Pakistan attaining 100% of it!
India, which has led the world in BPO and IPO for over 10 years has not crossed the $10 bn in FDI (IT related). 20 bn for Pak? Unfortunately, I dont see it in the next 20 years atleast! I hate to be so pessimistic or blunt, but I think we have been already fooled enough into these false hopes.
There is a big difference between 'Pakistan CAN attract' and 'Pakistan HAS attracted'.
i wish this were true but PakiPower's post is a lot more realistic than this story.
QUOTE(PakiPower @ Oct 28 2005, 11:10 PM)
Enough of this talent crap. In this country of 170m, atleast one third people are below the poverty line(by Pakistani standards which are well below the international ones; If you consider those then probably 60% is below the poverty line meaning they cannot afford a proper diet of food let alone education and that too to compete with the international workforce).
At best only 1% of the population has access to quality education, and majority of those are quitting the country and looking for a future abroad. Pakistan has fallen way behind the world in this IT and information age race. When the world(including India) was in a micro-chip race, we were busy with the Afghan war and drugs. Now the world has entered into the Nanotech; The future of the IT will be decided by who masters this tech first. As far as I know, there is not a single microtech research/development company in Pak, and Nanotech is basically unheard of. Also if we are eyeing the BPO, IPO business, there are countries such as India, China, Phillipines etc. which are decades ahead of us in that infrastructure as well. I doubt if this market would ever increase to what our "source" believe, let alone Pakistan attaining 100% of it!
India, which has led the world in BPO and IPO for over 10 years has not crossed the $10 bn in FDI (IT related). 20 bn for Pak? Unfortunately, I dont see it in the next 20 years atleast! I hate to be so pessimistic or blunt, but I think we have been already fooled enough into these false hopes.
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At best only 1% of the population has access to quality education, and majority of those are quitting the country and looking for a future abroad. Pakistan has fallen way behind the world in this IT and information age race. When the world(including India) was in a micro-chip race, we were busy with the Afghan war and drugs. Now the world has entered into the Nanotech; The future of the IT will be decided by who masters this tech first. As far as I know, there is not a single microtech research/development company in Pak, and Nanotech is basically unheard of. Also if we are eyeing the BPO, IPO business, there are countries such as India, China, Phillipines etc. which are decades ahead of us in that infrastructure as well. I doubt if this market would ever increase to what our "source" believe, let alone Pakistan attaining 100% of it!
India, which has led the world in BPO and IPO for over 10 years has not crossed the $10 bn in FDI (IT related). 20 bn for Pak? Unfortunately, I dont see it in the next 20 years atleast! I hate to be so pessimistic or blunt, but I think we have been already fooled enough into these false hopes.
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PakiPower, though you make some sense, but all your points are not agreeable.
Talk about talent in IT and Microchip tech??? Yes we definitely have it! The inventer of the world's first virus (for constructive purposes) was a Pakistani, who now own's Brainnet at Lahore. Also the founder of AMD's first processor was a Pakistani. HIs name is Dr. Atiq Reza (more about him at: http://www.digital-daily.com/editorial/nexgen-history). Also another Pakistani scientist has made possible neural cell connectivity with microchips, which is a break through in medical technolody. These are just 3 examples to highlight our potential. Lookup "http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=152937" for inspiration
About the infrastructure, Yes we definitely lack it! which is also due to periods of corrupt and dictator governments, and bad foreign contacts. But I think its about time Pakistan should start thinking big. If you talk about poverty level, then there have been times when India was far poorer than Pakistan, in terms of poverty line. But now it's one of the hottest economies in the world. Uptill now, most of Paksitan's talent has headed west. But if we take our vision beyond, and employ the right type of people & decisions at the right places, then eventually those talented engineers and scientists will return -- just like I have noticed a trend/desire among NRI's, and fresh Indian graduates in US.
remember, vision is the first building block of a marvel.
Pak has 150 million people right?
And Pakipower is right. In terms of IT infrastructure, we are well behind.
I'd say about 5% of Pakistanis have access to quality education, and our GINi index or Lorenz curve shows that income distribution is grossly uneven in Pakistan. Lorenz curves I saw in 2001 show that the top 10% get about 60% of the GDP!
And Pakipower is right. In terms of IT infrastructure, we are well behind.
I'd say about 5% of Pakistanis have access to quality education, and our GINi index or Lorenz curve shows that income distribution is grossly uneven in Pakistan. Lorenz curves I saw in 2001 show that the top 10% get about 60% of the GDP!
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