PSEB to open office in Quetta

Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), the attached department of the Ministry of IT & Telecom, has planned to set up a dedicated office in Quetta soon for the development of IT industry in Balochistan.

PSEB Managing Director Osman Nasir on Wednesday said that the board was extending maximum facilitation to the IT industry in order to enhance exports of IT products and services and ensure a holistic IT industry growth.

He said that efforts were bearing fruit as the number of IT companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had surged to over 10,000.

Financial year 2020-21 witnessed the registration of largest number of IT companies, with 2,826 companies registered with the SECP. This performance is especially laudable in view of the global economic slowdown, demonstrating the resilience of Pakistan’s IT industry ecosystem, he added.

The PSEB MD said that Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore had become Pakistan’s major tech hubs, leading IT industry’s export growth.

The next phase of Pakistan’s IT/ITeS growth would come from focus on secondary and tertiary cities.

The PSEB office in Quetta would follow an all-inclusive approach for laying the foundation of a rapid industry growth in Balochistan, which would generate sustainable economic growth and job opportunities, he added.

Nasir said that work was also at advanced stages for setting up software technology parks in Quetta, Faisalabad, Bannu, Swat, Sukkur and Khairpur in the first phase.

Export remittances of Pakistan’s ICT industry including telecommunication, computer and information services rose to $1.298 billion at a growth rate of 41.43% in July-February of FY21, in comparison to $917.840 million during the July-February period of FY20.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2021.

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