Dr. Umar Saif, the acting federal minister for telecom and information technology, has set a lofty goal to export $5 billion worth of IT over the course of the next five years. He recently announced a 3% research and development (R&D) incentive designed to support the regional cell phone manufacturing sector. The purpose of this incentive is to encourage Pakistani manufacturers to produce high-end cellphones.
Dr. Saif emphasised how crucial the telecom industry is to Pakistan’s economic growth. He highlighted the continued efforts to enhance the export of smartphones made in the country, noting a notable 32% growth in IT exports in the last two months.
35 firms that assemble smartphones for different brands have been awarded licences, and efforts are underway to develop a comprehensive framework for producing whole mobile phones. Part of the plan is to start producing some phone parts locally.
Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman, the PTA Chairman, stated that he will always support the telecommunications sector. He discussed current efforts to enable the export of cell phones made in Pakistan. He also disclosed the establishment of an advisory group tasked with spearheading the introduction of 5G technology in the nation.
