ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday the country's technology industry had tremendous potential to support Pakistan's economy while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Technopolis, a special technology zone, in Lahore.
The government has said it plans to establish technology parks, software houses and manufacturing units across the country to enhance its exports and deal with its current account deficit.
It has allowed to set up mobile phone manufacturing units in Pakistan who are trying to meet domestic demand while eyeing lucrative international markets.
According to Pakistan's state-owned APP news agency, he mentioned global information technology giants like Google and Amazon while pointing out they were even thriving in a tough economic environment.
"The prime minister said during COVID-19, all other businesses had faced a slump but the profits of the tech companies multiplied during the pandemic," said the APP. "However, he said unfortunately, Pakistan lagged behind in the sector despite having ideal conditions including a huge young population."
He pointed out the objective behind establishing Technopolis projects in Lahore, Karachi and areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was to make the country join the technology race and provide more employment opportunities to its citizens.
"He said within 15-20 years, Indian tech exports boomed to $150 billion while Pakistan could reach only $2 billion," added the news report.
The prime minister praised the Punjab administration for allocating 800 acres of land for the technology zone.
He also distributed licenses among companies which would be operating from the Technopolis.
