Pakistan: progressing towards a fully fledged digital economy

Pakistan is an emerging mobile economy, with digital technologies beginning to transform the way people live and work. However, Pakistan still has a sizeable 'coverage gap' and lags behind peers in certain areas, including mobile broadband adoption. Keeping up requires that Pakistan does more to successfully exploit its demographic advantages, including mobilising its vast – and increasingly tech-savvy – youth population.

In May 2018, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) received cabinet approval for the flagship Digital Pakistan policy, which aims to use ICT as a strategic enabler for industrial transformation, economic growth, inclusion and e-commerce. The current decade will therefore be a pivotal stage in Pakistan’s national development journey and the growth of the telecoms sector. The outlook shows clear potential, but authorities must together lead the necessary action to realise key societal, economic and digital ambitions.

As highlighted in this report, policymakers must broaden access to high-quality mobile broadband networks, affordable services and smartphones by implementing fair and predictable tax and spectrum licensing regimes. Further, government agencies at all levels must cooperate internally and with private firms to develop robust policies that strengthen institutional frameworks, permit and protect cross-border data flows, and support innovation. Together these will help create a trusted environment in which citizens, tech start-ups and enterprises can flourish, jump-starting Pakistan’s evolution into an advanced online economy and digital powerhouse in South Asia.