Caretaker Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Dr. Umar Saif, has introduced Pakistan’s groundbreaking IT Export Strategy with the ambitious goal of boosting the country’s IT exports to $10 billion within the next three years.
During the unveiling ceremony, Dr. Umar Saif emphasized that the strategy, developed in collaboration with international partners, including PricewaterhouseCoopers and faculty from the University of Oxford, aligns closely with the government’s vision for the sector.
Dr. Umar Saif underscored the pivotal role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in stabilizing and strengthening Pakistan’s economy, identifying it as a key driver for economic growth.
He highlighted the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a crucial entity in facilitating the sector and removing bureaucratic hurdles. Dr. Umar Saif expressed optimism that the SIFC would attract increased Foreign Direct Investment to Pakistan.
Addressing the strategy’s components to elevate ICT exports, Dr. Umar Saif outlined key measures. The plan includes adding 200,000 skilled professionals to the existing IT workforce to raise exports to $5 billion. Additionally, enabling IT companies to retain dollars (Dollar retention facility) is expected to contribute an extra billion dollars, while the establishment of The Pakistan Startup Fund aims to further augment IT exports by another $1 billion, ultimately reaching the ambitious target of $10 billion.
Dr. Umar Saif emphasized the strategy’s potential, presenting a vision that prioritizes human resource development, capacity building, the implementation of a freelancers’ facilitation program, a startup funding initiative, and the nurturing of a resilient IT ecosystem.
