ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Dr. Umar Saif, announced on Sunday a breakthrough for freelancers in Pakistan as they can now receive payments through PayPal.
Addressing a longstanding demand from freelancers, Dr. Saif clarified that while PayPal itself is not directly operating in Pakistan, an agreement has been reached where remittances will be channeled through PayPal via a third party.
Under the new program, freelancers won’t need to open a PayPal account. Instead, individuals outside the country will make payments from their PayPal accounts, and the funds will be promptly deposited into freelancers’ accounts, streamlining the payment process.
In addition to this, Dr. Saif highlighted the nation’s first space policy approved by the federal cabinet, allowing international companies to provide communication services through low-orbit communication satellites. This marks a significant step forward, as communication services and internet services can now be offered through low-orbit satellites, which are relatively closer, reducing latency.
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The National Space Policy aims to enable private-sector companies to offer affordable internet services in Pakistan, fostering increased investment in the national space program. Dr. Saif expressed confidence in the launch of 5G services in Pakistan by July, with plans to auction 300MHz spectrum.
To revamp IT education in universities, Dr. Saif announced a collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, National Computing Accreditation Council, Examination Testing Council, Pakistan Software Export Board, and Pakistan Software Houses Association. Under this program, around 31,000 students have registered for tests, and successful candidates will be offered jobs through the Industry Placement Programme.
نگراں وزیر آئی ٹی ڈاکٹر عمرسیف نے فری لانسرز کیلئے بیرون ممالک سے پیمنٹ گیٹ وے کا قابل عمل منصوبہ بتادیا۔ کمیونیکیشن کی دنیا میں کیا انقلاب آچکا ہے، لو آربٹ کیا ہے؟ جہاں موبائل نیٹ ورکس اور انٹرنیٹ نہیں وہاں یہ سہولت کیسے ملے گی ، اس راز سے بھی پردہ اٹھا دیا گیا ہے۔#PayPal pic.twitter.com/ZUJ9m68TZx
— Ministry of IT & Telecom (@MoitOfficial) January 7, 2024
In an effort to support freelancers and startups, the government plans to establish 10,000 e-Rozgar centers across the country, equipped with the latest facilities. Dr. Saif emphasized the government’s initiatives to boost exports in the IT and telecom sector, citing an official export figure of $2.6 billion, with the actual figure estimated to be around $5 billion, considering industry expenses paid abroad for international employees and various cloud hosting and marketing services.
