Pakistan plans to go ahead with the manufacture of SIMs and smart cards in order to cushion itself from the cyberattacks, create job opportunities and save the precious foreign exchange, reports WealthPK. “Pakistan is planning to start local manufacture of SIMs and smart cards to shield itself from the threat of cyber-attacks amid a brewing cyber war,” said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its annual report.

‘’Digital transformation and creation of an enabling ecosystem are one of the key objectives of the government, and in this era of digital services, SIMs and smart cards assume pivotal importance. The local manufacture of SIMs will massively benefit the economy, as millions of SIMs are currently imported,’’ says the report.

It says the PTA fully supports the requisite role of performing authorization, compliance, and adoption of SIM card manufacturing in the telecom sector. The SIM and smart card manufacturing industry has already become a principal sector in many economies and is playing an important role in creating sustainable economic growth.

The role of the said industry will not be restricted to the domestic engineering perspective or transfer of technology. From a business perspective, the industry will boost the economy by creating employment opportunities, generating tax income, and saving precious forex. Moreover, it will add another practical dimension to academia vis-à-vis research and development.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk