IT industry needs more policy support

The IT industry needs more policy support to boost its exports and create a "smart nation", experts said yesterday. 

"The government has already given support…but if it gives some other… especially from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), then the future of the sector will brighten," said Asif Ibrahim, chairman of Chittagong Stock Exchange.

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He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a four-day "BASIS SoftExpo 2023" at Bangabandhu Bangladesh–China Friendship Exhibition Center in the capital's Purbachal.

The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) organised the show, funded by the private sector to highlight the latest technological innovations and ICT capabilities of Bangladesh to the world.

Since Bangladesh has a limited amount of land and resources, the digital economy is very critical for Bangladesh, said Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh.

Because businesses in the sector are scalable in an accelerated manner, he added.

Thousands of IT graduates and professionals thronged the “ICT Career Camp and Job Fair” at the BASIS SoftExpo 2023 at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in the capital’s Purbachal yesterday. PHOTO: COLLECTED

Banks and financial institutions should start adopting cloud banking, said Moynul Haque Siddiqui, founder and director of Fiber@Home.

"If we really want to be a smart country, software utilisation and adoption are needed in every way of life," he added.

Two policy supports -- back-to-back letters of credit and bonded warehouse facility -- have played a key role in the success of the garment industry, said Salman F Rahman, the prime minister's private industry and investment adviser.

The private sector has proposed the policies and the government accepted them, he said.

So, for the development of the ICT sector, the ICT players must come up with suggestions on the policy support they need, he added.

The lead generation of local IT firms in the expo was of Tk 120 crore while 92,000 people came to visit, said Russell T Ahmed, CEO of the BASIS.