By Dr. Umar Saif, Pakistan’s Minister for Information Technology, has unveiled some ambitious plans for the country’s tech sector. One particularly exciting announcement is the green light for Starlink services to launch in Pakistan, thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Starlink aims to provide fast and accessible internet on a global scale.
Following a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, Saif shared the news that the Prime Minister has given the green signal for Starlink services to operate in Pakistan. Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace giant. Previously, the former IT minister, Aminul Haq, had discussions with a delegation from the company regarding its operations in the country.
Starlink, with its goal of revolutionizing global connectivity by offering affordable, high-speed internet access, had received a lukewarm response in Pakistan previously. The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) had cautioned citizens against making pre-bookings on the company’s website.
Dr Saif also outlined several other ambitious initiatives:
- Enhancing IT exports through measures like institutionalizing dollar retention accounts, introducing IT corporate debit cards for seamless financial transactions, addressing tax-related issues, and training 200,000 IT professionals, with the aim of contributing an additional $5 billion to IT exports.
- Bringing global payment platforms like PayPal and Stripe to Pakistan and establishing co-working spaces for 500,000 freelancers to potentially add an extra $3 billion annually to the economy.
- Launching Starlink in Pakistan to improve internet connectivity nationwide.
- Launching a government-backed Pakistan Venture Capital Fund to attract leading international venture capitalists, with the goal of enabling $1 billion in VC investments in startups.
- Facilitating active spectrum sharing, and implementing forward-looking taxation policies, regulations, and incentives to prepare for the upcoming 5G auction within 10 months.
The official statement from the meeting also highlighted the Ministry of IT’s efforts to digitize all federal government services and consolidate them under one umbrella. This initiative aims to enhance the tax collection system and reduce tax evasion. Moreover, the goal of complete digitization of Pakistan’s economy is on the horizon.
The meeting also discussed the ministry’s initiatives to bolster the country’s IT industry. It was revealed that, in collaboration with universities and IT experts across Pakistan, IT training of international standards will become mandatory for students in the field. This move is expected to increase the IT industry’s skilled workforce by 0.2 million individuals and potentially boost sector exports by up to $5 billion.
While Dr. Saif’s promises have ignited enthusiasm within Pakistan’s tech community, it’s clear that fulfilling these commitments will require a monumental effort on his part.
