Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque, chaired the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Ignite Policy Committee meetings, approving their annual budgets for the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24).
The meetings were attended by key officials including Secretary IT Navid Ahmed Shaikh, Additional Secretary Cabinet Division, Additional Secretary Finance, Senior Joint Secretary of MoITT Ali Asghar, and Member Telecom Muhammad Omar Malik. The CEO of USF, Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, provided an overview of the ongoing projects.
The annual budget for USF Company was approved at Rs. 18.036 billion for FY24, aiming to support various initiatives and projects in the telecom sector. Additionally, the Policy Committee meeting of the Research & Development Fund was presided over by Minister Haque, where the CEO of Ignite presented plans for future projects. The budget for Ignite was approved at Rs. 3.206 billion for FY24, focusing on promoting research and development in the IT sector.
In a separate meeting, CEOs of Ufone, Jazz, and Telenor, namely Hatem Bamatraf, Aamir Ibrahim, and Irfan Wahab, respectively, met with Federal Minister Haque to discuss matters related to the telecom sector. The minister emphasized his commitment to addressing industry issues and safeguarding the rights of cellular users. Efforts are underway to resolve the challenges faced by the IT and telecom industry through relevant forums, with the aim of achieving positive outcomes.
By approving these budgets, the Federal Minister for IT and Telecom has taken significant steps to support the growth and development of the IT and telecom sectors, ensuring the provision of efficient services and addressing industry concerns.
