Acting ICT Minister Dr Omar Saif on Wednesday announced the establishment of 10,000 e-Rozgar centers across the country to help self-employed workers as most of them do not have a suitable workplace.
“About 1.5 million freelancers work regularly in Pakistan,” Dr Saif said in a statement posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The minister said that the comfort of self-employed workers is essential for them to improve their work performance and efficiency.
“If we can help one million self-employed workers, their income will rise to about $10 billion annually,” he said, adding that with measures already in place, including allowing the withholding of up to 50 percent of the export of their income and an easy way to receive your payments. Independent activities are expected to grow rapidly.
The Ministry of Information Technology has identified that most freelancers belong to smaller cities and towns, while female IT experts mostly come from remote areas where they do not have job opportunities in the relevant field.
While admitting that most self-employed workers do not have the necessary facilities, including a working environment and fast internet at their homes, Dr Saif said that under the new policy, Rozgar e-centres will be equipped with all necessary facilities and each of them will have a capacity of 100 people to work.
Under the plan, building owners who want to convert their properties into Rozkar e-centres will receive interest-free loans to convert their properties into workplaces.
While speaking to the media recently, the Acting Minister said that the most important aspect of the e-Rozgar centers will be networking and connection between freelancers, and the overall atmosphere will support them to take up high-profile projects and so on.
