Pakistan's Information Technology (IT) industry exports reached $72 million for the financial year 2005-2006 as compared to $46 million for the financial year 2004-2005 registering an overall growth of 56 percent. According to the figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to Pakistan Software Export Board, there is an overall 56 percent annual increase in IT exports by Pakistani IT companies.
The IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) marketplace offers lucrative opportunities for developing countries to join the ranks of the developed world. The scale and pace of growth in this sector is faster than in any other industry, and a number of developing countries are attempting to emulate the success enjoyed by countries such as China, Thailand and India.
The Government of Pakistan has been proactively developing the IT sector since the last few years. A few of the incentives offered are tax exemption till 2016, establishment of IT parks with low rent, foreign ownership of equity invested in IT and 100 percent repatriation of profit allowed to IT companies.
Major spending in this $72 million exports last year has taken place in hardware consultancy services, software consultancy services, maintenance or repair of computers, export of computer software and other computer services.
The maximum contribution in these earnings has come from computer software export, which has contributed 63 percent of the total export, with an overall increase of 44 percent as compared to computer software export last year.
Yusuf Hussain, MD PSEB has appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Information Technology, and congratulated the IT industry on this achievement. He gave due credit to all the stakeholders for this success and promised them continued support from the government through PSEB.