Back home where freelancers face frequent connectivity issues due to slow internet speed, load-shedding and outdated infrastructure, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb painted a glowing picture of Pakistan’s progress in information technology at the World Economic Forum. If a country of 225 million populace is the world’s third-largest population of freelancers, it does not mean that freelancers have thrived on an ideal environment provided by the government. Record IT exports and policy initiatives like the Digital Foreign Direct Investment Initiative cannot put a harsh reality under the rug: freelancers, the backbone of this success story, are often left to struggle without a basic necessity – uninterrupted internet access.
This problem alone stifles productivity and discourages potential international clients who demand consistent, high-quality output. The finance minister should ask the relevant quarters to address these systemic shortcomings; without admitting limitations, the government cannot create IT-driven growth.
Other than internet and power woes, what the IT sector needs is simplifying banking options. When international payment platforms like PayPal are unavailable in Pakistan, the government can create ease of doing IT business for freelancers by connecting local banks with alternatives. The government should work to integrate such platforms and offer incentives for foreign payment gateways to enter the Pakistani market.
The whole freelancer regime of Pakistan has thrived on international connectivity, which is fortunately very welcoming to hardworking Pakistanis. The government should arrange training and upskilling programmes to polish freelancers’ talent. The provision of tools to compete with their global counterparts in emerging fields like AI and blockchain would be a great favour.
Also, creating co-working spaces in smaller cities and towns, equipped with the internet, would create clusters of freelancers and provide them with professional environments. These spaces could also act as hubs for networking and collaboration – a must for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The finance minister can take pride in freelancers’ achievements, but his words cannot drive progress on the part of the government. He should count the concrete steps taken by the government to empower Pakistan’s IT freelancers. *