Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the government is focused on creating a startup-friendly ecosystem to unleash the huge potential of e-commerce in the country.

The premier made these remarks while chairing a meeting of young entrepreneurs and startups. He said the future of business in the world is technology-driven e-commerce platforms. Cognizant of its importance, we are working to clear all kinds of impediments hindering its growth, he added.

The prime minister appreciated the role of startups in generating employment opportunities for the huge tech-savvy young population. He vowed to fully facilitate and back them to materialise their true growth potential.

He directed the concerned authorities to take effective measures to address the concerns of startups relating to capital gains tax, digital signatures, intellectual property rights and attracting foreign direct investment.

Earlier the prime minister was briefed that e-commerce is growing at an unprecedented speed. Valued at $1.5 billion, Pakistani startups raised an investment of $375 million during 2021. Major startups were in the fields of e-commerce, fintech, logistics and health tech.

The meeting was attended by Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill, Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Azfar Ahsan, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, Chairman Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) Amir Hashmi and other senior officials.

Source: Pro Pakistani