In the past couple of years, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has emerged as a digitally advanced province of the country. The provincial government has taken guided steps and launched several initiatives that point the province in the direction of digital inclusivity and promoting information technology. The province has taken lead in launching several initiatives for the welfare of the citizens and the streak continues. At Expo 2020 Dubai, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched Pakistan’s first digital city which is a significant milestone achieved by the province.
Pakistan’s First Digital City
Pakistan is making reforms to shape the future that promotes digitization, innovation and encourages local and foreign investments in various domains. For this purpose, the government is establishing technology zones in Pakistan where the idea is to facilitate local and foreign investors. For this purpose, Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) has also been formed which is the go-to-body for all the developers, enterprises and other stakeholders.
Pakistan’s first digital city was launched at the Dubai Expo 2020 in order to give a significant boost to the country’s IT sector for digital transformation and its promotion. The initiative has been given the name Pakistan Digital City and is launched in close vicinity to the capital city Islamabad.
The provincial government has focused its efforts to strengthen the institutions and make regulations that have led to making KPK a rapidly growing province. To support its vision of digital inclusivity, the province has also enabled citizens by providing opportunities to acquire digital access and skills along with better digital governance that will result in a digital economy.
Benefits Of Pakistan Digital City
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KPK BoIT) has signed four memorandums of understanding with firms who will be provided with a complete set of facilities to succeed. In addition to that, the government has also signed 44 deals in total with a collective worth of USD 8 billion.
To facilitate investors and enterprises, the provincial government is offering exemption for custom duties, taxes and general sales tax for as long as 10 years. These facilities will help in attracting more investors and players in the market leading to the development of cutting-edge technology and more employment opportunities for local citizens.
The Emerging Province Of Pakistan – KPK
There is a dawn of digital transformation in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While the government is bringing reforms and taking initiatives to develop an ecosystem that can sustain global players and investment, the private sector has also shown interest in being a part of this.
The province is being developed into a global business hub that will provide a nourishing environment and necessary facilities to international as well as local players. Not only the infrastructure is being developed but also the province is aligning the procedures which would otherwise consume a lot of precious time. The development of technology zones and launching the digital city in KPK helps the skilled citizens too who wish to start their own firms or be a part of an organization that is on its way to making an impactful change.
The KPK IT Board and Pakistan Digital City are geared towards enabling the youth for a better and brighter future. KPK’s one-window policy has also encouraged and attracted sizable investments. All this has been the result of leveraging information and communication technologies and making the province more connected, empowered and inclusive towards economic growth.
This comprehensive technological ecosystem will help the local IT industry as well by providing youth and graduates new opportunities and supporting young entrepreneurs.
This is all for now about the digital city in KPK. Keep reading Zameen Blog to know about more developments on this and other initiatives of federal and provincial governments. You can also let us know your thoughts on this or leave us feedback at blog@zameen.com.
