ISLAMABAD: Narrowing the digital skills gap through digital skills training and greater adoption of education technologies can add Rs2.8 trillion to Pakistan’s GDP by 2030, says Google.
Google hosted AgayBarho: A Google for Pakistan Event in Islamabad, sharing updates on its continued commitment to unlocking future opportunities for Pakistan’s digital economy. A new research findings show that investing in digital skills and boosting digital exports can play a significant role in future-proofing Pakistan’s digital economy.
At the event, Access Partnership unveiled a new report titled, “AgayBarho: Empowering Pakistan’s Digital Economy,” which shows that despite facing economic challenges, Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry is emerging as the engine of economic recovery and growth. Pakistan’s IT services exports have grown by 2.7x since 2014, reaching 35 percent of all service-sector exports in 2023.
Digital technologies will contribute significantly to Pakistan’s digital exports, with an additional $6.6 billion (Rs1.8 trillion) in annual export value in 2030 gained by exports of mobile apps, online video services, cross-border digital ads, cross-border e-commerce, and other digital services. Furthermore, this number is expected to increase significantly if Pakistan implements enabling policies.
This boost in digital exports will mainly be driven by businesses using digital technologies to create new exportable digital solutions; reduce the cost of accessing overseas markets; and drive more efficiencies in the export processes.
According to the report, digital technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI, is playing a significant role in accelerating exports, by enabling the creation of new opportunities and access to overseas markets. Pakistan has vast potential to increase the share of its digital exports, specifically by developing new exportable digital solutions, reducing the cost of accessing overseas markets, and driving more efficiency in the export process. Mobile apps, online video services, and cross-border e-commerce can add PKR 1.8 trillion to Pakistan’s annual export value in 2030.
Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja commended Google for its role in driving the country’s digital economy forward. “The potential of digital exports to transform our economy is immense,” she said. “By working together, the public and private sectors can ensure Pakistan reaches its full potential in the digital age.” The minister added, “I would like to commend Google for undertaking initiatives that have significantly improved the lives of thousands of Pakistanis over the last few years. I was pleased to see that Google has provided over 960,000 jobs to Pakistani youths in 2023 alone. The success of these Google initiatives in Pakistan is a testament to both; the country’s potential in the digital world and Google’s commitment to upskilling and uplifting the youth of our country.”
Farhan S Qureshi, Google Pakistan’s country director, stated: as the Access Partnership report highlights, Pakistan’s young and dynamic workforce is poised to drive remarkable growth. With that opportunity in mind, we’re committed to fueling this momentum by investing in skills development with initiatives such as Google Career Certificates and Google Developer programs, ensuring individuals and businesses can harness the full potential of AI – a potential that could add Rs2.8 trillion to Pakistan’s annual GDP by 2030.”
In order to harness Pakistan’s digital export potential, the report highlights a strong need for investing in digital skills training and education for the workforce to ensure competitiveness and readiness to participate in the digital economy. Narrowing the digital skills gap through digital skills training and greater adoption of education technologies can add Rs2.8 trillion to Pakistan’s GDP in 2030.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024