PM Shehbaz eyes USD25 bn IT exports in five years

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that the government set a target of Information Technology (IT) exports worth USD25 billion in the next five years, ARY News reported.

Addressing a launching ceremony of Google’s initiative to produce half a million Chromebooks in Pakistan, PM Shehbaz appreciated the contribution of the tech giant on the global level and in Pakistan as well.

The prime minister believed that the young generation of the country is very capable in the field of Information Technology which could play a key role in the economic development of Pakistan.

He urged the federal and provincial governments to utilise all possible resources to ensure their education and empowerment.

PM Shehbaz asked the IT experts and entrepreneurs to present a plan to help the government achieve the target besides promoting Small and Medium Enterprises and freelancers.

The prime minister also resolved to make the country’s governance system paperless and digitised to get rid of ‘massive corruption’ in the best interest of the people of Pakistan.

He said the government hired a new Secretary for Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in a transparent way.

The Google representatives also presented the first device to the prime minister at a ceremony held here. Regional Director of Google for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Farhan S. Qureshi presented the Chromebook to PM Shehbaz.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Google is playing an important role in the digitisation of Pakistan.

Farhan Qureshi said that focusing on technology would help increase economic activities in the country. He highlighted that there were huge opportunities for freelancers in Pakistan to move forward in various fields of technology.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal were also present on the occasion.

At the event, Access Partnership unveiled a new report titled “Agay Barho: Empowering Pakistan’s Digital Economy,” which shows that despite facing economic challenges, Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry is emerging as the engine of economic recovery and growth. Pakistan’s IT services exports have grown by 2.7x since 2014, reaching 35% of all service-sector exports in 2023.

According to the report, digital technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI, is playing a significant role in accelerating exports, by enabling the creation of new opportunities and access to overseas markets. Pakistan has vast potential to increase the share of its digital exports, specifically by developing new exportable digital solutions, reducing the cost of accessing overseas markets, and driving more efficiency in the export process. Mobile apps, online video services, and cross-border e-commerce can add PKR 1.8 trillion to Pakistan’s annual export value in 2030.