The Sindh government plans to provide tax relief to the IT industry by lowering the Sindh Sales Tax on IT and software businesses, and call centres from 13% to 3%; moreover, they have also unveiled a five-year IT policy.
Chief Minister of Pakistan Syed Murad Ali Shah made the announcement on Monday while speaking at a session titled Ease of Doing Business for the IT/ITeS Industry. The seminar was hosted by Sindh Information Science and Technology Department in collaboration with Pakistan Software Export Board and PASHA. Additionally, the federal minister for Information Technology also addressed the seminar.
CM Syed Murad Ali Shah announced the reduction of the Sindh IT Sales Tax from 13 percent to 3 percent at a seminar organised by the Sindh Government’s Information, Science and Technology Department in collaboration with Pakistan Software Export Board and P@SHA on Ease of Doing Business for the IT and TeS Industry. Companies can opt for either a 13 percent adjustment or a 3 percent modification.
With the help of PSEB, he added, the Sindh government has planned to introduce IT infrastructure across the province, and it was also in the process of establishing Sindh’s first “cloud first policy,” which would be presented in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022-23.
The programme will encourage collaboration with the federal government on broadband for all, the development of software and IT parks, and the adoption of cloud services by the government to give cost-effective services to start-ups and IT firms.
The government had opted to rely largely on technology and had planned technology intervention programmes in the areas of education, agriculture, health and women’s empowerment. Sindh’s government aspires to be a leader in the use of digital technologies, overcoming hurdles in providing fundamental services to inhabitants.
