The interim government of Pakistan has decided to introduce ‘business-friendly’ visas and equip as many as 200,000 youths with information technology skills to tap the billion-dollar sector, which generates $2.6 billion worth of exports but has a capacity of $10 billion.

“IT can be an export-based industry,” interim Minister for Sci-Tech and IT Umar Saif told reporters after the meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) – a hybrid civil-military forum – in Islamabad. He was accompanied by fellow ministers.

It was the second day of the meeting of SIFC’s apex committee, which unanimously decided to deal with the menace of smuggling, hoarding and market manipulations with iron hands through an elaborate enforcement mechanism.

Interim PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar directed the ministries to optimally utilise the short interim period for a positive contribution while also initiating medium and long-term policy interventions, reported Radio Pakistan.

The state broadcaster added that Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir pledged “unwavering support” of the Pakistan Army to backstop the government’s efforts for the ‘economic revival’ of the country.

Below is the list of decisions and facts Saif shared at the presser

• Digitising the tax system to bring more people to the tax net and estimate the exact amount of tax paid by registered taxpayers
• Introducing digital payments
• The total exports of the IT sector are $2.6 billion while its capacity is $10b. It is actually $4 billion as many investors face difficulty in bringing their payments here. So this process will be eased and fundamental steps have been agreed in this regard. It will help Pakistan earn $1 to $1.5 billion. Its trade surplus is 70% to 80%.
• 200,000 youth will be trained
• The addition of 100,000 youth to the workforce will result in $2.5 billion dollar worth of IT exports. So by adding 200,000 people, the country has space for $5 billion worth of exports in the IT sector.
• Auction of 5G licence in next 10 months.
• Freelancing facility and co-working spaces for 500,000 people

“If one million youth earn 10$ per day, it can generate $3 billion for Pakistan annually so there is space for 200,000 new software developers in Pakistan which can earn $5 billion. Three billion dollars can come if our freelancing work is done,” said Saif.

• Launch of Starlink, a low orbit satellite system by which people in low connectivity areas can have access to the internet
• Handset manufacturing
• Introducing a contract-based or cell phone financing scheme
• Bringing Stripe and PayPal

New easy visa regime

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has announced a new easy visa regime for foreign businessmen desiring to visit Pakistan, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

In a statement after the fifth meeting of the Apex Committee of SIFC, he said those foreign businessmen who want to visit Pakistan would get easy visas on the basis of a document from their country or from international business organisations.

Pakistani missions would issue visas to foreign businessmen on the basis of that single document, he said and added that the new visa regime would make Pakistan a country open for business.

The prime minister said besides if Pakistan’s chambers of business or business organisations issue a document to a foreign businessman, easy visas would also be issued to them.

People who work in mid-sized and large businesses could also avail this facility of visa, he added. He expressed the hope that under this new visa regime, Pakistan would enter a new phase of business and economy.

Interim foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said the SIFC has decided to increase trade with the African countries. Moreover, foreign missions would raise awareness about the council among the Pakistani Diaspora.

Visa policy

• A businessperson would be issued a visa immediately after their country writes to the Foreign Office about their investment and business activity
• Government has eased conditions for the intended businessperson staff
• Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti described it as a business-friendly visa

Anti-smuggling drive

• Zero tolerance will followed in the anti-smuggling drive

Illegal immigrants

• Policy is ready for sending immigrants back to their country in phases
• According to NADRA, 78% of the population is registered but the prime minister has called for taking this percentage to 95% to 96%
• NADRA’s mobile service will start to expedite the registration of citizens
• B-form is mandatory for school admission

While speaking about the surge in terrorist activities, Bugti said: “I don’t think the challenge related to terrorism is not a big challenge to us as the country has faced it in the past and defeated militants in the past.”

The interim minister stated that no one would be allowed to impose their agenda on the basis of violence or guns. “This violence of monopoly that someone wants to do in the name of religion, nationalism, political violence, we will not allow anyone to exercise it. Violence monopoly is with the state.”

Special cell for redressal of overseas Pakistani complaints

Jawad Sohrab, the special assistant to the prime minister on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development, said that the government set up a cell for resolving expatriates issues related to landing grabbing.

The cell would be formed with the help of the interior ministry, he said and added that the same model would hopefully be implemented in other provinces.

Further measures for ease in their travelling were under consideration

Construction of many schools, which were pending for many years under the Workers Welfare Fund, would be completed in Balochistan in 30 to 60 days. While the foundation stone would be laid for many schools in Sindh and Balochistan in 30 days.

Water plan

Irfan Aslam, law minister and climate change minister, said that a comprehensive policy was needed to tackle the effects of climate change. Below are a few points:

• Water remains available for farmers
• A policy will made, having a water plan
• Carbon market to know stock and volume of carbon trading
• Studying Pakistan climate change fund for dealing with climate change and investment related to climate change-resilient industries