Pakistan’s freelancing market is rapidly emerging, and the export earnings of Pakistani freelancers are expected to exceed $2.5 billion during the current fiscal year.
According to Ibrahim Amin, founder and chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), Pakistan has emerged as the fourth-largest emerging freelancing market in the world. During the last fiscal year, Pakistani freelancers recorded export earnings of $1.76 billion, while in July, the first month of the current fiscal year, Pakistani freelancers generated $175 million in export earnings.
Ibrahim Amin further stated that the government has organized an event at the Governor House Karachi on August 29 to celebrate the achievements of Pakistani freelancers. Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, will attend the event to encourage and appreciate Pakistani freelancers.
Amin also called on the government to exempt active educational platforms on YouTube from the 5 percent tax, or reduce the tax rate to 1 percent. He argued that it is inappropriate to place entertainment and educational platforms in the same category.
He further said that the number of Pakistani freelancers has exceeded 3 million, and that supportive government policies could lead to further growth in this number, which would also contribute to an increase in Pakistan’s IT services export earnings.