Interested in purchasing a phone through installment plans? The government has some positive updates for you

In a conversation with Samaa, Dr. Umar Saif, the Caretaker Federal Minister for IT, has announced that Pakistani-made mobile phones will be available for installment purchases by January 2024.

Dr. Saif emphasized that Pakistan, with the fifth largest population and the seventh largest telecom industry globally, boasts 33 domestic companies that have produced 57 million affordable mobile phones. Of these, 12 million have been exported.

These locally manufactured phones are expected to be more budget-friendly, with an average cost of around 15 thousand rupees. Dr. Saif highlighted the significance of having 1.5 million cell phone users in the country. Despite foreign exchange challenges, he asserted that there’s no reason why mobile phones cannot be assembled and manufactured within Pakistan.

He questioned why Pakistan couldn’t follow India’s example in manufacturing iPhones. Dr. Saif pointed out that Pakistan’s IT exports are at 2.6 billion dollars, whereas India’s stand at 150 billion dollars, mainly due to a shortage of trained manpower, with only 120 thousand available in Pakistan.

He stressed the need to train students in universities and outlined his plan to upskill two hundred thousand individuals while establishing e-employment centers for five hundred thousand freelancers within the next two years.

The Caretaker IT Minister is determined to boost IT exports to 10 billion dollars.