Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set an ambitious target for Pakistan’s information technology sector, announcing that IT exports could surpass $25 billion within the next five years. This statement was made during a review meeting on IT sector reforms in Islamabad, where the Ministry of IT presented a detailed roadmap to achieve this goal. The meeting underscored the government’s commitment to boosting the sector through workforce training, educational reforms, and collaboration among state institutions.
Prime Minister Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s skilled workforce and the country’s abundant resources, stressing the importance of efficiently utilizing these assets to scale up the IT sector. “Pakistan’s IT exports can exceed $25 billion if we leverage our talented workforce and optimise resource usage,” he said, directing relevant ministries to work together to address the challenges currently facing the sector. The Prime Minister also emphasized that he would personally oversee the implementation of IT reforms to ensure the sector’s growth.
The Ministry of IT’s presentation focused on several critical reforms, with an emphasis on the importance of robust training and skill development. The ministry aims to equip Pakistan’s youth with the necessary skills to meet international standards in education and technical expertise. Skilled IT professionals are in high demand in the Gulf region, a fact that the ministry highlighted as an opportunity to tap into lucrative overseas job markets.
To address this growing demand, Prime Minister Sharif instructed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to devise a comprehensive plan to train Pakistani youth in global-standard skills, particularly to cater to the needs of the Gulf job market. “The demand for Pakistani IT specialists in the Gulf region must be addressed,” he added, urging for actionable proposals from the HEC to meet this demand effectively.
In an effort to drive export growth, the Prime Minister called for the establishment of a committee to foster collaboration across various institutions. The goal of this committee would be to ensure that each action taken towards boosting the IT sector has a clear timeline and accountability for progress. He stressed that the successful implementation of the proposed reforms would play a pivotal role in transforming Pakistan’s digital economy.
The review meeting also covered notable advancements in e-governance. Over the past few months, Pakistan has improved its global ranking by 14 places, moving from 79th to 40th in the global rankings for e-governance. During this period, the country registered 2,500 new IT companies, signaling significant growth in the sector.
The Ministry of IT also shared projections for the next five years, aiming for $15 billion in IT exports, $1 billion in telecom exports, and $10 billion through digitalization initiatives. A major focus of the discussion was on improving Pakistan’s labour management system, particularly by using industry data to match workforce demand with skills. The meeting also introduced a framework designed to help freelancers manage remittances more effectively, with the Prime Minister calling improvements to the international payment gateway a “significant step.”
Prime Minister Sharif expressed his satisfaction with the IT Ministry’s proposed roadmap and commended the efforts of State Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and her team. He also acknowledged the efforts of Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Ahsan Iqbal and other key officials who attended the meeting.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with the Prime Minister’s office highlighting that Pakistan’s IT exports had increased by 34% in the past four months. This growth reflects the country’s ongoing digital transformation and the positive impact of the government’s reforms in the IT sector.
