Understanding the potential of the IT sector in the economic development of Pakistan and providing avenues to the bulging youth population, the government has decided to set up centers across the country to help youngsters access digital opportunities.
According to the Ministry of Information Technology, the 250 E-Rozgar Centers will be set up in every district of the country. The centers will not be evenly distributed, rather they will be based on the population size of each province and data of freelancers registered with the Ignite National Technology Fund.
149 of these centers will be established in Punjab, 51 in Sindh, 28 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 11 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), six in Balochistan, three in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and two in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
Surge in IT exports
Pakistan’s IT exports are gradually rising, with the figure reaching $286 million in July 2024. Compared to the last year’s figure of $214 million, this is a 33.64 percent increase and a significant confidence boost for the government’s efforts to promote this sector.
Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said in a statement that the government is committed to the enhancement of Pakistan’s IT exports, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also focusing on uplifting this sector.
She mentioned how the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, and the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) work together to enhance Pakistan’s IT exports.
Initiatives
The government has taken various initiatives for the IT sector. Notable among them are the Islamabad IT Park and Nawaz Sharif IT City.
During the meeting held to discuss the country’s IT exports, the premier was told that all organizations are working to achieve the target of taking Pakistan’s IT exports to $25 billion.
The meeting was told that the $77 million investment made by the government would lead to a $2.5 billion increase in this sector’s exports. Other than that, the digital transformation of the country would bring about a $10 billion increase, the telecom sector would yield another $2 billion, and the remaining $13 billion too would stem from the government’s initiatives.
Reviewing the progress of the Islamabad IT Park, the premier expressed satisfaction at the pace of work and remarked that it would bolster the country’s IT exports when it becomes operational. He also ordered that the Korean experts should be consulted to reduce the construction timeframe of the project.
For the Nawaz Sharif IT City, Pakistan has sought investment from the British.
A meeting was held between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and British High Commissioner Jane Marriot in Murree. During the meeting, they discussed various areas of development, before it steered to the digital initiatives of the provincial government.
The chief minister urged British institutions to invest in the mega project, highlighting how the province was undergoing digitalization.
Investments
During a separate meeting, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb made it clear that the government remains committed to the facilitation of investments in the country.
In a virtual meeting with Mashreq Bank’s President and Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Ahmed Abdelaal, the finance czar highlighted the potential of the IT and agriculture sectors of Pakistan and called for investment in these domains.
The finance minister further highlighted the recent improvements in the economic indicators of the country, thus showcasing the fruits of the government’s efforts in this regard. He mentioned the government’s policies to achieve economic stability and to boost investors’ confidence in the country.
The GCEO appreciated the government’s efforts and expressed the bank’s interest in engaging with the country’s financial sector for its economic development and to reap the benefits of the investment opportunities provided by a strategic market like Pakistan.