🌟 Former NADRA & FBR Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem’s Vision for a Digital Pakistan
Pakistan stands at a crossroads, and Ali Arshad Hakeem, former Chairman of NADRA and FBR, believes the path to prosperity lies in IT expansion, land digitization, and bureaucratic automation.
📈 From $3B to $30B: Boosting IT Exports
Hakeem stressed the need to scale Pakistan’s IT exports from $3 billion to $30 billion, a move that could revolutionize the economy. To achieve this, he emphasized:
✅ Supporting freelancers and expanding remote work opportunities.
✅ Scaling IT firms to build global software and service hubs.
✅ Fostering unicorn startups to put Pakistan on the global tech map.
⚡ Overcoming Internet & Bureaucratic Barriers
Hakeem warned that slow internet speeds and bureaucratic red tape are restricting Pakistan’s booming freelance industry.
💡 Pakistan’s freelancers have already earned $400 million this year, but with the right policies, this figure could skyrocket to $5 billion!
❝ With 4MB internet, we cannot build billion-dollar empires. ❞ – Ali Arshad Hakeem
🚀 He called for high-speed internet, simplified regulations, and digital infrastructure to enable Pakistan’s IT workforce to thrive.
🏆 Sales Tax Digitization: A Transparent Economy
To combat tax evasion and increase compliance, Hakeem proposed a reward-based digital sales tax system:
🔹 Retail receipts would include hidden prize numbers, encouraging customers to demand invoices.
🔹 This strategy promotes transparency and incentivizes businesses to report sales.
📊 Pakistan currently has only 5 million taxpayers, compared to India’s 86 million. Hakeem emphasized that by automating tax collection, Pakistan could expand its tax base to 15 million and reduce black-market reliance.
🌍 Land Digitization: A Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
Land digitization could be Pakistan’s biggest economic unlock! Hakeem urged all provinces to follow Punjab’s model of using geospatial mapping for land ownership records.
🔹 Transparent land records reduce disputes and corruption.
🔹 Expanding the tax base with proper documentation.
🔹 Creating a powerful land bank to attract investment and economic growth.
📢 The Road Ahead: Tech-Driven Policies for a Digital Future
Reflecting on NADRA’s success in financial inclusion and governance, Hakeem called for immediate execution of tech-driven policies.
❝ Pakistan has the technology—it just needs the will to use it. ❞
🚀 With strong digital policies, automation, and investment in IT infrastructure, Pakistan can unlock its true economic potential and compete on the global stage.
