Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been presented with a detailed plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports to $25 billion over the next five years. During a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Friday, the Ministry of Information Technology outlined a roadmap that includes reforms across various IT sectors to achieve this ambitious target.
The plan sets specific goals: $15 billion from IT exports, $1 billion from telecom exports, and $10 billion from digitalization efforts. Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that Pakistan has abundant talent and resources, and with proper education and training, the country’s IT exports could exceed even the $25 billion target.
The Prime Minister praised the proposed reforms, calling them exemplary, and instructed authorities to ensure their prompt implementation. He also committed to personally overseeing the reforms and urged all institutions to collaborate to address any challenges.
To prepare Pakistan’s youth for the global IT market, he directed the Higher Education Commission to devise a plan for providing international-standard education and skills training. He also stressed the importance of tapping into the growing demand for Pakistani IT professionals, especially in Gulf countries, and called for the creation of a committee to ensure the success of the reforms.
In the past four months, Pakistan’s IT exports have grown by 34%, the country’s global e-governance ranking has improved by 14 positions, and 2,500 new IT companies have been registered. The meeting also discussed a Labour Management System aimed at improving workforce capacity and job creation, as well as a project to streamline remittance processes for freelancers and young IT professionals.
The meeting was attended by key ministers, including Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and other senior officials.
