Business

Introduction: Pakistan's digital landscape is undergoing revisions to the 2018 Digital Pakistan Policy, with an assessment of milestones and targets achieved thus far. The recently released State of Pakistan's Economy report for 1HFY23, particularly the SBP's special section on IT exports and startups, sheds light on various aspects such as digital connectivity, fintech, e-government, and the need for digital literacy, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and a dedicated digital transformation secretariat. However, several challenges remain, notably the scarcity of skilled talent and the limited scope of digitalization in key sectors.   Insufficient Talent Pool: According to industry surveys conducted by Pasha, the software houses association, Pakistan's local academia fails to meet the industry's demand for technical skills and soft skills. This shortage of talent poses a significant challenge for IT exports and startups that rely on efficient operations and skill...