Government Wants to Increase IT Exports to $10 Billion by 2023

The government has prepared an incentive package for the promotion of the information technology sector, aiming to increase the IT sector exports from the current level of around $1 billion to $10 billion by 2023.

This was stated by the Secretary Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui. All the stakeholders are on board and the target is very much achievable, Siddiqui added.

He also confirmed the incentive package while saying that the government wants to facilitate this sector which has the potential to increase the country’s exports manifold.

He is confident that the package will overcome the challenges faced by the sector in comparison to the competing & regional economies. The incentive package tackles issues like high taxation on IT/ITeS companies, lack of quality physical infrastructure and limited domestic opportunities, sources added.

Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting recently regarding promotion of growth of the IT/telecom sector and resultantly some decisions/directions are currently being implemented. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was directed to increase the limit for remittances for freelancers to $25000. SBP has also agreed to facilitate bank account opening for freelancers and ensure all kinds of support in this regard.

A summary for the Prime Minister is under process to encourage Pakistani products and to give preference to Pakistani software products by all ministries/divisions which would help grow IT businesses. Special Technology Zones will be developed in the country to promote IT/ITeS growth. In this regard, a Public Sector Development Programm (PSDP) proposal of Rs. 6.5 billion has been submitted to the Planning Commission by MoITT.

The MoITT has submitted a proposal to the PM Office for resolving issues related to double taxation of IT companies. This initiative will help remove impediments in IT business growth as well. A summary to Prime Minister is under process to declare Islamabad a Knowledge City. This initiative will promote the international branding of Islamabad as an attraction for investment by foreign IT companies.

Further, the government has already taken steps/initiates which include:

1. Government has exempted IT/ITeS from income tax on export till June 2025;
2. Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) registered IT start-ups are exempted from income tax, withholding tax and minimum tax for three years and tax holiday for venture capital funds till 2024;
3. For the promotion of IT sector and to attract global investors, foreign ownership up to 100 percent of IT/lTeS have been allowed and no embargo has been put in place for repatriation of profit earned by such foreign investors;
4. Government through PSEB is facilitating local companies in the promotion of IT services by way of marketing, subsidization, etc. The state functionaries in consulates and embassies have interacted to accord special focus for promotion of IT exports;
5. PSEB has focused to bring the local companies to subscribe to global best practices like ISO Certification CMMI. Such drives not only contribute to capacity building but also reinstate/reaffirm the trust of overseas firms as well.

The government had announced some incentives in the budget 2019-20 due to which the country’s IT/ITeS export remittances have surged to $550.503 million at a growth rate of 24.71 percent during the first six months of the fiscal year 2019-20 (July-December) compared to $441.435 million during the same period of last year.

The number of PSEB registered IT & ITes companies have incrased to 2163 as of 30th December 2019 compared to 1873 valid registrations as of December 2018 at a growth rate of 15.5 percent.

The government has launched the first-ever e-Commerce policy aimed at paving the way for inclusive trade and economic development. The policy aims to pave the way for the holistic growth of e-Commerce in the country by creating an enabling environment in which enterprises have equal opportunity to grow steadily.

e-Commerce in Pakistan is at a nascent stage with modest internet retail sales. However, it is an emerging sector with a noticeable surge in recent past in online vendors, local e-Commerce platforms and online payment facilities introduced by banks and facilitated/ enabled by cellular companies through their nationwide networks.

The policy covers and provides guidelines on key components for the promotion of e-Commerce including the regulatory environment, financial inclusion and digitization through payment infrastructure, empowering youth and SMEs, consumer protection, taxation, ICT infrastructure, logistics and engagement in multilateral negotiations.

The government, however, is yet to induce international payment gateway like PayPal to come to Pakistan due to lack of legal cover as well as money laundering fear. However, the government is working to engage a foreign payment provider to establish Pakistan’s own international payment gateway which will be pre-integrated with Paypal, Visa, MasterCard, and Alipay.