Dr. Umar Saif, Pakistan’s Minister for Information Technology in the interim government, has unveiled a significant development in the country’s IT landscape. He officially announced the government’s intention to attract global payment giants PayPal and Stripe to Pakistan, a move with immense potential for the growing digital economy.
The government is poised to establish co-working spaces tailored specifically for freelancers, a crucial step in fostering the freelance industry. During a crucial meeting with Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Dr. Saif emphasized the IT sector’s capacity to generate up to $10 billion in exports if existing challenges are effectively addressed.
Prime Minister Kakar directed various government entities, including finance, commerce, energy, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to engage in collaborative consultations, emphasizing the importance of a coordinated effort.
Dr. Saif also underscored the pivotal role of the IT sector in achieving economic stability and shared plans for training 200,000 IT professionals through collaboration between industry and academia, with the ambitious goal of boosting IT exports by $5 billion.
This forward-looking initiative underscores Pakistan’s dedication to harnessing its IT potential for economic growth and development.
