ISLAMABAD: More growth opportunities would unfold for the Pakistani freelancers & IT sector as the online payment giants PayPal & Stripe have said to start their operations soon in Pakistan.
The freelance industry faced several hurdles regarding payments and services due to the absence of these payment portals. However, it’s anticipated that the start of the new services would add economic value as locals would be able to receive income in a more convenient manner.
Interim Caretaker Minister Dr Umar Saif said that Pakistan will get positive news regarding the payment gateways. He briefed that the government has been in conversation with both platforms and WISE as well. Umar added that Pakistan would hear good news by the start of December. He further said that the ministry has taken initiatives in the last two months to boost to IT and telecom sectors.
Earlier, the IT minister presented a plan to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to revamp the technology sector and bring online services to Pakistan for freelancers. Anwaarul Haq approved the plan and appreciated the idea of bringing PayPal & Stripe to Pakistan.
- Overall the plan focused on:
- Institutionalising dollar retention accounts to enhance IT exports
- Easy credit and debit of money from retention accounts with IT corporate debit cards
- Streamlining tax issues
- Training of IT professionals
- Launch of Starlink to improve connectivity in Pakistan
Saif in his social media post said that the plan to bring PayPal & Stripe to Pakistan and the establishment of freelancers’ co-working spaces would add $3 billion annually.