The export earnings from IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS), which encompass computer
services and call center services, rose by approximately 12.7 percent during the initial seven
months (July-January) of the fiscal year 2023-24, reaching $1.720 billion compared to $1.525
billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Official data reveals that ITeS
export earnings decreased by roughly 12.6 percent month-on-month in January 2024, amounting
to $265 million as opposed to $303 million in December 2023. On a year-on-year basis, export
earnings from the sector surged by about 39 percent, surpassing $190 million in January 2023.
The total ICT export earnings, encompassing telecommunication, computer, and information
services, amounted to $2.597 billion, reflecting a negative growth rate of approximately one
percent in the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to $2.619 billion in the fiscal year 2021-22.
Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Dr. Umar
Saif, has introduced the inaugural IT and ITeS export strategy with the aim of elevating
Pakistan’s IT exports to $10 billion within the next three years, with the potential for further
expansion to $12-15 billion. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications
has identified several constraints, including inconsistent policies, taxation issues, and banking
obstacles, which are impeding the information technology sector’s export potential of around $15
billion.
