PITA E-NEWS

              June, 2002

Text Box: In the news Direct damage to the sector is $1M The recently completed report on direct damage to IT sector resulted from the Israeli incursion to West Bank areas is put to nearly $1M, the indirect damage, for example, lost business opportunities are incalculable. The survey was collected by members and non-members through filling of forms and personal calls to businesses and telephone calls. The report is sent to various agencies for compensations. PITA New office is fully operating After 5 months of operating from Timex Office; due to the Israeli December 01 incursion and the destruction PITA equipment by the Israeli Military Occupation Forces; PITA moved to a new location (address last page). We take this opportunity to thank Mr. Khaled Assali, and Timex Resources Limited for their kind support and for hosting PITA staff during the last 5 months. We also extend our greetings to DAI/MAP and ANERA for equiping and furnishing the new office. ========================= BoD meets with the World Bank Representatives Board of directors and Executive Director met on May 25 at PITA new office with a delegation from the World Bank. The delegation included, Mr. Robert Mertz - Principal Financial Analyst – World Bank, Mr. David Lingelbach – Chief Operating Officer – Institute for SME Finance, Mr. Rami Khoury- Investment Officer – IFC and Ms. Julia Devlin – Senior PSD Specialist – World Bank. Brief presentation of PITA current activities on the light of the current political situation and damage occurred to the IT sector and   Continued below... ___________________________________________ Firm Level Assistance program that was announced earlier through PITA-MAP activities.  The Compressed Service Program is designed to introduce the PITA available TA programs to Gaza IT companies and to build their profiles and knowledge of PITA programs and roles. Details and registration forms could be viewed at: http://www.pita-palestine.org/BusDev/Programs.htm  For any further inquiries please contact: Mr. Bayan Aabed, PITA Gaza Coordinator at: bayan@pita-palestine.org  ========================= Text Box: Comdex Jeddah 2002 (Brief) A pavilion but no delegation After several months of hard preparations for Comdex Jeddah 2002, which took place on 1-4 April 2002, PITA delegation was not able to participate, a delegation consisting of at least 40 persons, among them the representatives of 8 exhibiting companies could not leave to Jeddah due to the Israeli last incursion of Ramallah. The participation was planned to introduce the Palestinian IT capabilities & skills and to promote the Palestinian innovative software products which are tailored for the Arabic users. Despite the absence of the Palestinian Delegation, brochures and promotional material were distributed by the only person who could make it to Jeddah; Mr. Sadeq Tawfiq from Ellam Tam, PITA contracted Media and PR Company. Check this link for Comdex Photos: http://www.pita-palestine.org/Comdex2002/comdex.html Text Box:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Month in PITA E-News

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Comdex Jeddah 2002 report

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PITA & Paltrade to sign an agreement for Gitex Dubai 2002

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PTIA New Office is fully operating

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Training programs update

5

The IT & Intifada

Contacting PITA

 

 

Next Issue

Text Box:  

Gitex Dubai 2002 update

PITA Members’ Directory for the year 2002
 

Text Box: Commencement Ceremony A commencement ceremony to the trainees who completed Cisco, A+, and Linux training modules under the “Development of Human Resources for Economic Growth and Job Creation Project” is scheduled next month.  60 trainees representing 39 IT companies and organizations in Gaza will be awarded the certificate.  The Swedish ambassador will attend the ceremony along with the UNDP representatives.  PITA will announce the date and place of the ceremony very soon. ========================= Text Box:   Members Meet to discuss PITA Future plans in light of the current political situation PITA organized 2 member meetings, one in Ramallah, 20/05/2002 and a second separate meeting for members in Gaza, 22/05.2002.  The meetings discussed the current political developments; the PNA planned reform, the IT sector demands, damage assessment survey, and PITA emergency Program.  PITA Chairman presented the draft of PITA position Paper, which stressed the demands of the private sector in general and the demands of the IT sector in specific.  PITA Executive Director presented the current PITA programs, the damage assessment report, PITA planned survey and emergency program.  The meeting concluded that PITA should work on 2 levels, the strategic level by stressing the demands and the policies that should guarantee the development and the protection of the private sector, and on the micro level, by developing emergency programs to serve the urgent needs of the member companies to guarantee their sustainability and operation.  The major demands of the members were focused on the financial support, e.g. rotating funds, soft loans ..etc. The position paper, PITA Emergency Program of Action, and the members’ survey could be viewed at PITA website members only area ========================= Compressed Services Program for Gaza Members PITA and Market Access Program (MAP) launched a Firm Level Assistance Program aiming to help Gaza IT companies to identify their local business needs and assist them in linking their needs with available offered services and programs. This program comes as an introduction to the   Continued below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Text Box: Members Asked to Submit Articles For PITA E-News Dear PITA members, PITA is planning to activate the newsletter and make it a regular habit (a monthly issue). PITA is also welling to announce your news, articles, and activities. Hence you are requested to submit your contributions or suggestions to news@pita-palestine.org. Calendar of Events 1.     Commencement Ceremony Place:  Gaza, Al- Direh Hotel Time:     to be announced later 2.     Formal PITA Office Opening Place: PITA new office Time: to be announced later Formal opening and a reception   The Palestinian IT professionals play an important role in supporting the Palestinian cause through the internet PITA is proud of all the Palestinian IT professionals for the role they played and are still playing in spreading the truth, and in writing about the Palestinian sufferings and in making the effort to write complain letters to persons and organizations that support the Israeli occupation, and in writing thank you letters to persons and organizations that could see the Palestinian side of the story and could support us. What featured the IT professionals efforts is their continuous dissemination of information and pictures, and their emphasis on verifying all the information before spreading them. We take this chance to thank you all. Text Box: Continued from page 1 businesses were made by PITA Executive Director. The World Bank team inquired about certain emergency projects PITA is planning to undertake, those proposals have been submitted to them including the damage assessment report which PITA has completed early last month.  PITA new member of Staff As of 1 May Bayan Aabed joint PITA staff, but in Gaza, Bayan is to coordinate PITA services and programs. Bayan is currently hosted by the DAI/MAP office until PITA allocates the needed resources to open PITA office in Gaza. Bayan could be reached at bayan@pita-palestine.org  DIC OFFICE under the name of Palestine@Gulf  The registration of PITA office at the Dubai Internet City (DIC) is now complete. The name of the office is Palestine@Gulf. This will be the first office the Palestinian private sector to open out side Palestine. It was planned the office to be named Palestine@DIC, but due to objection from the DIC for the copyright of the DIC name the name was changed. The actual opening of the office will not takeplace till rest of the preparations are completed. The complete DIC project document has been revised and can be downloaded from members area at PITA website. Questions regarding the use and purpose or how you business can benefit from the office should be directed to PITA Executive Director abudaka@pita-palestine.org    PITA Executive Director participates in the Arab IT Forum held in Cairo Egypt International Economic Forum on Information Technology, this gathering is to emulate the World Economic forum meetings held each year at Davos but for the Arab World. However the official language was English and was heavily attended by the American representatives. For example two members of the Congress attended the meeting one of them is Tom Davis chair of Hi-tech committee in the congress the other was congressman Darrell Issa.. On behalf of PITA ED participated in a workshop titled “How & why the Palestinian Mobile & IT survived the Israeli incursion”, The meeting was well attended especially from the Egyptian press. PITA & Paltrade to sign an agreement on Gitex Dubai 2002 PITA and Paltrade are preparing the budget, project documents, in order to sign a cooperation contract to organize the Palestinian presences in Gitex Dubai 2002. PITA has received registration forms reserving over 100 SQM despite that the total space PITA has reserved is 84 SQM for a Palestinian Pavilion. PITA will follow the rule first comes first served in this activity. Executive Director thanked DWTC in a letter on behalf of PITA BoD and members for donating the space for the Palestinian Pavilion. PITA has secured DWTC through visits and follow-up after last year exhibition.  GITEX DUBAI 2002, 13-17 October 2002, be ready Text Box:   Continued from page 3  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Text Box: Short News v  PITA Is now formally registered as a Non Governmental Organization, also registered as VAT exempt business organization. Legal Coordinator to follow up PITA Advocacy Program has been hired on a part time basis, and for the duration of the Advocacy Program which is supported by Map. Dalal is a lawyer by training. dalal can be reached at dalal@pita-palestine.org Text Box:    Saff News  The longest serving PITA staff member, PITA marketing coordinator Safa Abdulrahman last week got engaged to Amer Madi, Amer of the UNDP. The engagement ceremony between the two families tookplace over a telephone conference call since Safa’s family is in Gaza. PITA is yet to celebrate this event perhaps through a video conference link between Gaza and Ramallah. We are looking for your ideas.       PITA/PATEL Agreement Agreement has been reach between PITA and PATEL aiming to increase the Internet penetration up to 10% of population in one year. The text of the agreement is posted to PITA website, IT issues. The date and please of the signing ceremony to be announced latter Social News The longest serving PITA staff member, PITA Programs Coordinator Safa’ Abdelrahman last week got engaged to Amer Madi, Amer of the UNDP. The engagement ceremony between the two families took place over a telephone conference call since Safa’s family is in Gaza. PITA is yet to celebrate this event perhaps through a video conference link between Gaza and Ramallah. We are looking for your ideas.               Looking a head ·      General Assembly Meeting ·      Palestine@Gulf ·      Advocacy Program (planned workshops) Please send us your activities to post in this space to info@pita-palestine.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

           

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Text Box: E-News Contact Information Telephone:   02 240 8478 Fax:             02 240 8479 Office Address: 3 Najy Al-Ali Street, El-Bireh, West Bank, Palestine Postal Address: PO Box 2460, Ramallah, Palestine  Email:          info@pita-palestine.org Mailing Lists:board@pita-palestine.org , Board only members@pita-palestine.org, All Members staff@pita-palestine.org , All Staff info@pita-palestine.org, selected members of staff pita@pita-palestine.org , selected members of staff