The Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Dr. Umar Saif, has announced an exciting plan. In February, a trial project will begin, allowing 10,000 freelancers in Pakistan to receive payments through PayPal.
Even though PayPal isn’t directly available in Pakistan, an agreement has been made to use a third-party to handle payments. Freelancers won’t need their own PayPal accounts; people outside the country will send payments, and the money will go directly to the freelancers.
Dr. Saif mentioned that the government is simplifying things for freelancers. They just need to show they have accounts on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and others. The government is also introducing a 50% dollar retention policy, letting freelancers keep half of their earnings in dollars and providing a debit card for transactions.
To further support freelancers and entrepreneurs, the government is investing in E-Rozgaar centers across Pakistan, planning for over 250 centers.
These centers will offer interest-free loans and assistance for freelancing and entrepreneurship. The goal is to have 40 centers up and running by February 19, 2024.
Dr. Saif also mentioned a standardized quality test for 75,000 IT graduates on January 15, leading to job opportunities through the Industry Placement Program. The government plans to provide international certification training for 16,000 individuals in technologies like Salesforce and Microsoft.
Thanks to these initiatives, IT revenue in Pakistan has increased by 13% in the past month. The Federal IT Secretary, Hassan Nasir Jami, praised the efforts to boost IT exports and support freelancers, encouraging people to take advantage of the opportunities in Pakistan’s growing IT world.
