ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has planned to establish a National Digital Commission to ensure digitization of its economy and paperless governance, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, citing State Minister for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Pakistan, which faced an economic meltdown in recent months, made rigorous efforts to introduce structural reforms under a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, which ended in April and helped the South Asian country avert a sovereign default last year.
In May, Pakistan signed an agreement with McKinsey and Company for the digitalization of its tax collection system after the IMF suggested strengthening public finances, broadening the existing tax base and privatizing loss-making state enterprises as part of reforms.
Khawaja said the new commission would be headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif keeping its importance in view, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“It will not only improve governance and tax collection efficiency but it will also smooth the inter-ministerial coordination,” she was quoted as saying.
The minister said paperless governance was “vital” to speed up the government operations and it would help remove procedural bottlenecks.
In July, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a new $7 billion loan deal, aimed at strengthening fiscal and monetary policy as well as reforms to broaden the tax base, strengthen competition, secure a level playing field for investment, enhance human capital, and scale up social protection through increased generosity and coverage in a major welfare program.
Pakistan wants to collect 13 trillion rupees ($44 billion) in taxes — 40 percent more than the last fiscal year — according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The government also aims to increase the number of taxpayers from a meager 5 million.
Pakistan plans to establish National Digital Commission to digitize economy, improve governance
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Pakistan plans to establish National Digital Commission to digitize economy, improve governance
- Pakistan made rigorous efforts to introduce structural reforms under its last IMF program that ended in April
- The lender has suggested broadening the tax base and better financial management under a new $7 billion deal
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
