PAKISTAN has achieved a major milestone by becoming exporter of 4G smartphones by sending first-ever shipment tagged ‘Manufactured in Pakistan’ to the United Arab Emirates.
This would not have been possible without favourable government policies that have helped transform Pakistan from a net mobile phone importer to an exporting country.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin always talk about export led growth because it is through diversifying and enhancing our exports that we can address country’s economic woes and take it towards self-reliance.
Selling mobiles abroad is a good addition to our export basket. The first shipment of 5,500 mobile sets manufactured by Inovi Telecom is just the beginning and we expect that government will continue to lend helping hand to this industry to further enhance its exports and earn valuable foreign exchange for the country.
For mobile exports, our target should be Gulf countries where majority of Pakistanis live as well as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and also African countries.
The local manufacturers should also be encouraged and provided incentives to ensure that spare parts for the mobile sets are also domestically manufactured.
This will open up many opportunities for our youth. We should enhance our engagements with China to bring their high tech firms to the country. Given its cheap labour, Pakistan is an attractive place for Chinese investors.
Work on Special Economic Zones under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project must be accelerated to produce more export oriented goods and products.
This journey of enabling the country towards hi-tech exports must be taken forward with more speed and confidence.
