‘Enabling environment’ for freelancers envisaged

KARACHI: Government will provide an enabling environment to freelancers to empower freelancing industry in the country providing them opportunities to contribute as equal partners to the economy, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) stated.

The agreement took place between the government’s Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) and Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), aimed at making Pakistan a leading enabler and top marketplace for freelancing by providing ease of doing business, capacity building, mentorship, and broad basing the technology jobs to all corners of the country to achieve a sustainable economic growth.

Through the collaboration, STZA aims to jointly organise and arrange youth focus awareness sessions, workshops, and training programs with PAFLA for the youth, establishing a brand presence among academia by appointing university students as brand ambassadors.

The MoU states that primary qualitative research would be conducted including interviews, surveys, and questionnaires, to assist STZA in creating a robust framework to identify gaps and challenges of the freelancers' community of the country.

According to STZA, Pakistan has registered remarkable growth in freelancing in recent years with the current market of 'more than one million individuals' working in various specialised fields. The collaboration is envisaged to provide an enabling environment to the freelancer industry in the country where the self-employed workforce is treated as equal partners and contributors to the economy.