MoITT sets up 43 software tech parks
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The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) through the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has established 43 Software Technology Parks (STPs) across the country, including in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
These parks host over 350 IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) companies, employing 18,000 professionals across a combined covered area of 1.9 million square feet. Notably, 20% of the workforce in these STPs consists of women, said an official of the Ministry of IT.
These facilities, set up between FY2022-24, are located in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Gilgit, Rahim Yar Khan, Faisalabad, Swat, Quetta, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Gujrat, Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Gakuch, Bahawalpur, and Khuzdar.
The STPs contribute significantly to Pakistan's economy, generating $100 million annually in foreign exchange earnings and $15 million in domestic revenue.
To further enhance the country's ICT infrastructure, a state-of-the-art IT Park is under development in Karachi, covering 1.12 million square feet. Expected to be operational by 2027, the $186 million project will create 13,400 jobs and is projected to boost IT exports by $90 million.
Similarly, an IT Park in Islamabad, covering 720,000 square feet, is currently under construction. Scheduled for completion in 2025 at $88.4 million, it is expected to generate 7,500 jobs and increase IT exports by $70 million.
As part of its digital empowerment initiatives, the government plans to establish 250 e-Rozgaar centres across Pakistan over the next three years (by 2027) under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project, "Prime Minister's InitiativesSupport for Startups, Specialised IT Trainings, and Venture Capital."
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