The decision has been made by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) to incorporate private IT co-working spaces that are currently operational into the e-Rozgar centers initiative.
According to sources who spoke with ProPakistani, this move will turn more than a dozen private co-working spaces in Punjab into cutting-edge e-Rozgar facilities.
More for you: In November 2023, IT exports increased by 11%
According to MoITT sources, the goal of this project is to significantly improve the nation’s IT ecosystem. Many private co-working spaces, mostly in Punjab, have already been identified by the ministry and will be turned into e-Rozgar centers right away.
The plan, according to the sources, entails providing government grants to these co-working spaces so they can modernize their facilities and better serve the changing needs of the digital age. The PC-1 proposal for the e-Rozgar Centres project has already been sent by the ministry to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for approval. Pakistan’s first e-Rozgar centre is scheduled to be opened by Minister of IT and Telecom, Dr. Umar Saif.
Ministry insiders have revealed that the government intends to finance the construction of these e-Rozgar centers with a 100 percent interest rate subsidy. Interest-free loans will be available to building owners; Ignite will fund a significant amount of the subsidy, with additional funding coming from the PSDP.
The government is providing loans of up to 10 million rupees to each e-Rozgar center for the development of infrastructure in an effort to create a model that benefits all parties involved. Banks, freelancers, and building owners will all profit from this strategy.
The e-Rozgar centers project will be carried out by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB). The PSEB has proposed to establish 250 e-Rozgar centers with a budget of Rs. 1 billion, indicating the government’s continued commitment to building a strong digital infrastructure.