Govt seeks to boost ICT exports to USD25.1bn by 2030
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government aims to achieve USD 25.1 billion in ICT exports by 2030, including USD 15.3 billion from the IT and IT-enabled services and USD 9.8 billion from telecommunications. In a written reply to questions in the National Assembly on Monday, she said that, to achieve these targets,…
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, revealed Pakistan's ambition to generate a digital export revenue stream of USD 25.1 billion by 2030. This goal includes USD 15.3 billion from the IT and IT-enabled sectors, and USD 9.8 billion from telecommunications. During a written response to inquiries in the National Assembly, Khawaja emphasized that her government is pursuing a comprehensive plan to bolster Pakistan's digital economy, boost the ICT industry's competitiveness, and increase the nation's presence in global markets.
ICT export remittances in the country rose by 20.6 percent, amounting to USD 4.6 billion (4,600 million) during the Financial Year (FY) 2025-26 (July–June), up from USD 3.8 billion (3,814 million) in the same period of the previous fiscal year (FY 2024-25). The Federal Minister highlighted that ICT exports consistently form the largest portion of Pakistan's Services Sector, generating the greatest trade surplus within this sector.
Khawaja also highlighted the Pakistan Software Export Board's ongoing collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan to streamline and facilitate business operations for the IT industry. This collaboration has led to several improvements, such as the designation of specialized bank branches, the establishment of dedicated desks for IT exporters, and the updated Proceeds Realization Certificate (PRC) for the IT sector.
The Digital Service Providers List was also revised and broadened, enabling Pakistani ICT companies to conduct international transactions with a larger pool of approved overseas digital service providers. Additionally, IT companies and freelancers are no longer obligated to submit Form “R” for every single export transaction; instead, they must provide a once-off declaration detailing the nature of the services they offer overseas when opening a new account, or as necessary for existing clients.
To further simplify procedures, the threshold for obtaining Form “R” has been raised to exceed USD 25,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies), providing more flexibility for beneficiaries. Moreover, documentation requirements for outward remittances from Exporters' Special Foreign Currency Accounts (ESFCAs) for acquiring services abroad have been standardized, and the Roshan Digital Accounts framework has been expanded to enable foreign nationals, companies, and institutional investors to open RDAs and invest in high-yield government securities and Naya Pakistan Certificates.
This approach is expected to motivate Pakistani IT exporters to remit their earnings back to Pakistan rather than retaining them abroad.
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