Pakistan Software Houses Association to launch “Digital Punjab Campaign”

Lahore: Government of the Punjab, in collaboration with Pakistan Software Houses Association announced to launch the “Digital Punjab Campaign” in order to attract foreign investment and facilitate the local IT industry.

The announcement was made by the Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Dr. Umar Saif, in a press conference held at Arfa Software Technology Park on Thursday preceded by a Round Table Conference organised by the TechHub Connect, a project of the PITB.

In addition to veterans of IT industry & academia, representatives from The Punjab Revenue Authority, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Commerce & Trade of Pakistan were also present in the roundtable conference.  He said “Punjab has made the Internet Broadband services 20% cheaper in Pakistan by withdrawing the internet tax while facilitated the IT Industry by imposing zero tax on IT exports.  The 8% tax on IT industry revenue is likely to be reduced to 2% by the government on our suggestion. Federal Ministry for Commerce has committed to promote IT industry abroad through the extensive network of commerce counsellors.

PITB and P@ASHA will facilitate the provision of visas and support to increase tax holiday for IT related exports for next three years.”  He resolved to increase Pakistan’s IT related exports from $3 billion to $10 billion in the next 5 years.

Dr. Umar Saif informed the participants that as part of the campaign, PITB was formulating a comprehensive Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Policy for Punjab that would address issues related to taxation, access to global markets, attracting investments in the IT sector and development of human resource. He further stressed that the Government of Punjab was committed to implement digital governance across the province and to connect and empower common people using information technology.

President of P@SHA, Ms. Jahan Ara praised PITB and Punjab Government’s leadership for their continuing support to IT industry. She also informed the participants that the Digital Punjab campaign would serve as the cornerstone for the larger Digital Pakistan campaign, with its success to be replicated in the other provinces as well. The initiative received unanimous approval from all participants and was heralded as a major step towards establishing Punjab as a major IT hub for the global investors.