IT Exports are 10 Percent of Pakistan’s Total Services Exports: Anusha

Minister of State for Information and Technology Anusha Rehman while addressing to the participants of 2-days workshop for launching IT startups and entrepreneurs organized by PSEB at Islamabad, said that the government is dedicated in making Information Technology and Telecom the fastest growing sector in the region. She also said that Ministry of IT has affirmed 2015 as the year of IT to support IT business and exports. Hence Tech City and other such incubation projects will offer a network to the startups and entrepreneurs.

Additional Secretary IT Babar Hasan Bharwana, MD PSEB Asim Sheryar, Member IT Tahir Mushtaq, ED NITB, Syed Iftekhar Shah and Senior officials from Microsoft and Ministry of IT were also there at the opening session of the workshop.

IT Exports are 10 Percent of Pakistan’s Total Services Exports: Anusha

The Minister said that the government’s aim is to establish an empowering environment and infrastructure for the IT industry. She also mentioned that according to State Bank of Pakistan, IT remittances have increased by 41% since last year and IT exports are 10% of Pakistan’s total services exports at present. The main objective of ministry and PSEB is to take IT exports from $2.2 billion to more than $5 billion by 2017. The minister stressed that IT companies should inform about their foreign remittances through the banking channel so that PSEB can get an exact depiction of IT exports of Pakistan. MD PSEB, Mr. Asim Shahryar Husain, highlighted about PSEB’s contributions to IT industry with in last year and also disclosed plans for next year.

The workshop was attended by executives of IT startups from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar as well as officials from ministry of IT and PSEB. Similar workshops will be conducted in Lahore, Karachi and other cities as well by PSEB next year.