Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted Pakistan's potential to achieve over $25 billion in IT exports through enhanced resource utilization and improved workforce training. He shared this vision while chairing a review meeting on IT sector reforms in Islamabad.
The Prime Minister instructed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to develop a roadmap for providing international-standard education and training to the country's youth. He emphasized the growing demand for Pakistani IT professionals in Gulf countries and called for swift implementation of related proposals.
Clear targets for IT growth
Shehbaz Sharif stressed the importance of setting concrete targets and establishing specific timelines to boost IT exports. He announced the formation of a committee to oversee reforms and foster collaboration between institutions to achieve these goals.
Ambitious five-year plan
Officials presented an ambitious five-year plan, aiming to:
- Increase IT sector exports to $15 billion
- Generate $1 billion from telecom exports
- Achieve $10 billion through digitization initiatives
- Improvements in IT and e-governance rankings
The meeting highlighted significant progress in Pakistan's global e-governance ranking, which improved by 14 spots. Additionally, 2,500 new IT companies have been registered, and Pakistan's IT industry ranking has risen from 79th to 40th place.
Support for freelancers and remittances
The session also covered plans to facilitate remittances for IT professionals, particularly freelancers. PM Shehbaz praised the proposed international payment gateway initiative and directed its swift implementation to support young entrepreneurs.
Telecom sector reforms
The meeting concluded with a briefing on proposed telecom sector reforms, marking a crucial step toward strengthening Pakistan's digital infrastructure and enhancing the country's global IT competitiveness.
