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*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has entered the era of digitisation throughrevolution, not evolution, said Federal Minister for Information TechnologyAnusha Rahman Khan. She stated this while chairing the 39th meeting of theboard of directors of Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB).*

“A lot more work needs to be done to keep up with technology, includingamendments in rules of business, framework and laws to take full benefitsof technology for development and growth,” said Rahman.

She said that ‘the digital Pakistan’ policy gives a framework and would bepresented to the cabinet on Thursday (today) for approval. Due to strenuousefforts of the incumbent government, Pakistan’s IT and InformationTechnology Enabled Services (ITeS) sectors have developed exponentiallythrough incentives and facilitation.

Last week, the prime minister announced a cash reward and extension of taxholiday on IT exports till 2025, reduction in sales tax to 5% in IslamabadCapital Territory and ensured long-term financing at 5% interest rate andformation of legislation for new IT parks.

Already existing benefits announced in the previous couple of years include100% repatriation of capital and dividends, 3-year tax exemption for ITstartups, and tax holiday for venture capital funds till June 2024 amongothers.

The minister said that the growth rate of exports has jumped to 125% overthe last five years, adding that the IT industry is not only growing interms of the number of companies and revenue, but also in exports andworkforce on a yearly basis.

“These are, however, major achievements, and there is much more work to bedone to reach the present government’s target of $10 billion in IT and ITeSexports by 2020,” she added.