IT Ministry Develops Model for Creating Thousands of Freelancing Centers

The Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT) has decided to create infrastructure for freelancers in collaboration with the private sector. Sources told Propakistani that 5,000 freelancing centers will be built in the small and big cities of the country with the collaboration of the private sector. Officials of the Ministry of IT and Telecom say that such a model is being developed which is a win-win situation for the government and the private sector. According to the model, such buildings in the cities that are lying idle will be brought into use. The government will help the owners of these buildings to get loans from banks and subsidize the interest rate. Officials from the Ministry of Information Technology stated that they are in the process of determining the percentage of subsidy to be offered on interest rates. This subsidy will be funded partially by Ignite and partially by the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Additionally, plans are underway to establish freelancing centers in cities classified as tier one, tier two, and tier three. According to officials, the original concept was to create community centers through freelancing centers. Freelancing centers will be built in abandoned buildings in cities. Freelancers will get space and infrastructure to work. Facilitating freelancers will increase IT exports in the country. According to officials, this initiative will make it easier for freelancers to work. The seat rate for freelancers to work in any commercial space is Rs. 10,000-15,000 which is not affordable for them. Whereas in these freelancing centers, freelancers will get a seat for Rs. 3,000-4,000. When the freelancers get the facility, they will move accountants and other people with them to these centers, in this case, these centers will become e-employment centers. Officials added that only those buildings will be declared freelancing centers that will provide facilities to freelancers as per a set standard. They stated that 3.6 million people have been registered under Ignite’s DG Skills program. The caretaker IT Minister Umar Saif has asked the MoITT to focus on providing infrastructure to these freelancers.