BOGRA. July 6: A regional IT centre opened here Wednesday with an ambitious target of employing 50 lakh people from home and abroad in 15 years to earn Tk 25.000 crore in foreign exchange annually, says UNB

Commerce Minister Abdul Jalil inaugurated the Data Systems Integration Bangladesh Ltd (DS1). stressing the need for creating huge computer programmers as information technology is a potential sector in world trade.

"We need huge internationalstandard programmers to explore the potential."

Presided over by Deputy Commissioner Shamsul Huq. the inaugural function was also addressed, among others, by DSI regional chief M Anisul Islam, Awami League leaders Momtajuddin and Ferdous Ja-man Mukul.

The entrepreneurs informed that DSI would be able to earn foreign currency amounting to Tk 25,000 crore, creating Jobs for 50 lakh IT professionals from the northern region alone

within 15 years.

"In the 21st century, the key power of development will be knowledge." said the minister, adding that a new horizon has opened up for those developing countries that lack natural resources and physical capital.

He said that the government had undertaken some important steps for developing the country's IT sector. It had withdrawn all duties from machinery and accessories of computer in the fiscal 1998-99. he added.

The government, considering the importance of IT sector, also allotted Tk 15 crore in the current budget to impart training to the programmers, the minister said, assuring that the allocation would be increased if necessary.

He also informed that the government, reviewing the , prospect^ and problems of software export, had formed a 1,4-,member committee to make recommendations for development of this sector in 1997.

The committee recommended 45 issues for short and medium-term Implementation.

most of which have already been implemented, he informed the function.

"The government is keen to provide overall cooperation to the interested entrepreneurs, the minister said.

Referring to huge computer centres set up across the country. including the capital Dhaka, the commerce minister said the government wants to enhance training standards apart from expanding IT education.

Referring to the present government’s achieved success in the export sector, he said annual export earning had Increased to 570 crore US dollars from 388 crore during last four years.

Urging the local and foreign investors to invest in this sector. he said the gpy^umept is providing overall cooporation in development of some sectors, including software, identifying these as thrust sectors.

The minister, later, went round several sections of the computer centre.