Pakistan’s IT exports will reach $50bn in next few years: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday revealed that Pakistan's IT exports will reach $50bn in the next few years due to the effective polices of the PTI-led government.

While addressing E-Commerce Pakistan Convention in Islamabad today, PM Imran Khan urged the youth to take advantage of the "technological revolution," adding that the government was planning to expand the IT sector in the country.

He said: “We have given small incentives and in a span of a year or two, our IT exports have jumped from $2 billion to $3.75 billion. Our youth has taken much advantage of the small incentives provided by the government.”

The prime minister said the government would remove the hurdles in the way of the youth so they could benefit from the technological revolution.

Govt to grant complete tax exemption to registered freelancers

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said that the government has decided to grant a complete tax exemption to registered freelancers.

Talking about former Microsoft boss Bill Gates’ maiden one-day visit to Pakistan, the prime minister said he had invited the billionaire to seek his support in the IT sector. “So, I am not announcing it now, but I will give you good news in the coming days.”

“The system in the country has stopped the majority from rising in the country […] all the other countries have a structure through which people rise,” the prime minister said, adding that he had made the cricket team from scratch, but they still excelled.

“Whenever our nation has been given the opportunity, they have excelled […] and this can only happen in a country where God has given natural talent to people. This can never happen anywhere else,” he said.

Government focusing on revamping cricket structure

The prime minister said the government was also focusing on revamping the cricket structure in the country, and they had succeeded in changing it to a certain extent. “They might also become cricketing giants in the days to come, they might become undefeatable.”

Earlier, Senator Faisal Javed Khan took to Twitter and stated that Pakistan had witnessed an "exponential growth" in the e-commerce sector in the recent past, which will also help attract international payment gateways offer through services here.

The senator said 45% increase in Pakistan's e-commerce market contributed to a "worldwide growth rate of 29% in 2021".

Senator Javed said Pakistan reached its highest ever IT exports in the last six months. He said that IT exports during the fiscal year (FY) 21-22 increased by 36%.

The senator had added that Pakistan would be able to cross $3.5 billion mark during the ongoing financial year.