Pakistan is not famous as in the global ICT scenario but when I visited the website of Pakistan Software Export Board, I felt convinced that Pakistani government is very serious about this sector. The website contains all the necessary information for a foreign company who wishes to invest in the ICT sector there. And then I came into the page where the incentives for ICT sector is listed. Some of them are:
Foreign investors allowed 100% ownership of equity in "IT/ITeS companies"
Tax exemption for IT companies till 2016
100% repatriation of profits allowed to IT companies
Seven years' tax holiday for Venture Capital funds
I also came to know from this page that more than 85% of telecommunications infrastructure is on fiber optic cables and 1862 cities/towns are connected to Internet. Pakistan Software Export Board is now actively pursuing companies to set up call center in the country.
Pakistan produces about 5,500 ICT graduates and this is where perhaps is way behind than its neighbor . The wage of workers is another factor which must address seriously. Giving incentives to foreign companies is a positive approach and surely it will attract foreign companies but government needs to give more attention for increasing the number of highly skilled ICT professionals if they the country wants to reap maximum benefit from ICT.
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