Dr. Umar Saif, the Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, unveiled the country’s inaugural e-Rozgar Center in Islamabad on Tuesday, in collaboration with Excel Consulting Services. The center boasts 100 fully-equipped workstations for freelancers, with plans to expand to 300 in the future.
Addressing the audience, Minister Saif emphasized the significance of this milestone, marking the official commencement of a nationwide initiative to establish 10,000 e-rozgar centers. These centers aim to provide a conducive environment for the burgeoning community of freelancers, enabling them to work independently at affordable rates.
The facilities offered at the center include high-speed internet, UPS, training facilities, individual cabins, meeting rooms, and dedicated office spaces for startups. Minister Saif expressed optimism that this initiative could potentially boost IT exports by $10 billion annually, with a significant impact on freelancers’ capacity and income.
Under a public-private partnership model, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) will facilitate freelancers and provide technical support for these centers. Minister Saif credited the success of this project to the collaborative efforts of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which has enabled the caretaker government to make critical decisions in the IT and Telecom sector.
Looking ahead, Minister Saif outlined a comprehensive roadmap for Digital Pakistan, expressing hope that the newly elected government would continue to prioritize the promotion of Pakistan’s digital economy.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Additional Secretary MoITT Ayesha Moriani, Member IT Syed Junaid Imam, Project Director Amir Ahmed, Chairman EC Services Nazir Qureshi, officials from MoITT, NTS, PSEB, and a large gathering of freelancers.
