PM targets $25 billion boost in Pakistan IT exports
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed optimism that the completion of the Information Technology Park in Islamabad will significantly bolster Pakistan IT exports and contribute to reaching the $25 billion export target.
During a meeting on Monday, convened to review the progress of IT and digitization projects, as well as strategies to enhance IT exports, the Prime Minister characterized the advancement of the IT park project as satisfactory. He instructed relevant authorities to work with Korean experts to expedite the project’s completion timeline, according to a press release from the PM Office Media Wing.
The meeting, attended by federal and provincial ministers including Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, as well as Deputy Chairman Planning Jehanzaib Khan and PM’s coordinators Malik Mukhtar Bharath and Rana Ahsan Afzal, was updated on the IT park’s progress.
The Korean company overseeing the project has revised its completion date from June 2025 to February 2025. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is actively monitoring the site.
The Prime Minister also reviewed developments related to digital smart cities, highlighting a pilot project set to launch in Islamabad. This initiative will allow residents to access 150 government services via the City Super Application, including those from CDA, Islamabad Police, and various health and educational services. The Prime Minister encouraged the public to utilize mobile applications for accessing government services.
The meeting also provided insights into the IT sector’s performance over the past five months, noting a 30% increase in IT exports compared to the previous year. The government has registered 300,000 students for IT training programs and established four new incubation centers. Mobile phone manufacturing in Pakistan has risen by 30%, with an additional 800,000 users reported.
The session also addressed investment in IT projects, with a $77 million government investment anticipated to contribute to a $25 billion increase in Pakistan IT exports. Expected foreign exchange reserves from these initiatives are projected at approximately $13 billion from IT exports, $10 billion from digital transformation, and $2 billion from the telecom sector.
