Afghan ICT Sector Focus of Attention at CEBIT
Asia Pulse
03.11.2008
Afghanistan is in the limelight for the rapid growth of its information communication technology (ICT) sector at a six-day international exhibition, currently underway in the German city of Hanover. The National ICT Association of Afghanistan (NICTAA) said on Saturday that the war-torn country made its first-ever appearance at the largest technology exhibition CeBIT, which began on March 4.
"Heaving Afghanistan's ICT profile will create many positive impacts such as contributing towards a sustainable economy, social cohesion and educational progress," NICTA hoped in a statement mailed to Pajhwok Afghan News from Hanover.
Afghan businesses participating in the event were receiving a great deal of encouragement from the global market, the press said, adding NICTAA was welcomed by investors from Germany, Poland, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, the UK, America, Greece and Sudan. Leading companies such as Siemens, DBB, Docuware, TST Biometrics, Microsoft Partner and IBM Business Partners have shown a keen interest in investing in the Afghan market, according to the statement.
Said Tayyeb Jawad, Afghan ambassador to the US, remarked, "I remember a time when we couldn't even connect a printer and today's progress in such a short time proves how talented our people are." NICTAA has, meanwhile, started negotiations with Hanover Fairs International's Turkey Office to become its official partner in Afghanistan in CeBIT Eurasia 2008.
NICTAA president Omar Mansoor Ansari said, "The progress we made in these few days of our participation at the CeBIT is exciting. I am thrilled by my team's performance and the hard work of our talented business leaders and entrepreneurs."
"Their speed of establishing business relationships with overseas industry players is remarkable. This simply makes me proud," observed Mansoor.
