ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Technology Minister Dr. Umar Saif on Wednesday announced that the government would help set up 10,000 co-working spaces for freelancers throughout the country, saying the move could help them earn $10 billion annually.
In a video message, Saif said Pakistan has approximately 1.5 million online freelancers, making it the second-largest workforce of online freelancers in the world.
He said, however, that Pakistani freelancers face difficulties due to frequent power outages and a lack of working spaces in the country.
“Hence, the government is now going to establish 10,000 E-Rozgaar centers,” Saif said. “For this, we are issuing interest-free loans to the private sector so that they can convert their real estate into co-working spaces or E-Rozgaar centers.”Saif said these co-working spaces would be equipped with the latest facilities to help Pakistani freelancers earn. He added that even if one co-working space accommodates 100 freelancers, 10,000 spaces would enable a million freelancers to earn.
“Hence, they can earn $10 billion annually for Pakistan,” he concluded.
Saif announced the initiative a day after he launched the Pakistan Startup Fund, an initiative through which the government would invest Rs2 billion per year in Pakistani startups.
The minister had said the PSF is structured as an equity-free capital that would help close a venture capitalist (VC) round for a startup and help it raise its first external investment.
