If you are not doing business here already, you must have missed the news: Pakistan-The world seventh populous state. With so many people, there is bound to be a revolution.

• Over 1 million internet users.
• Over 400 cities and towns connected to internet.
• Almost 1 million cellular users growing at over 100% per annum.
• Almost 50 national and international airlines serving millions of passengers annually.
• Over 250,000 kilometers of country wide road network.
• Over 52 million passengers using country wide railway network every year.

Located at the foot of Himalayas and off the depths of the Arabian sea, Pakistan is the intersection of the East and the West. While its northern areas offer routes, both geographical and political into the uncharted economies of central Asia and the fast growing economic giant China, its southern shores offer unencumbered traffic to and from Australia, South Asia, the far East, Middle East, Europe and Africa.

While still securely located in one of the world most commercially and politically strategic areas, Pakistan today offers a gateway into any and every conceivable medium.

As the country grows by leaps and bounds, we invite you to grow by gigabytes and megahertz.

• The stage is set.
• Our destination is your destination.
• Our fuel is cost, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Our vehicle is Information Technology.

Putting the Capital in Human Capital

Government of Pakistan is cognizant of the value of its labor pool and even more conscious of the importance of value-added skills. With the entry into the digital age, Pakistan’s population growth is being outdone by its massive investment in human capital.

• committed almost Rs 1.5 billion to the development of Human Capital.
• distributed nearly Rs 1.1 billion to over 45 Human Capital Projects.
• set up facilities that will impart training in a host of value-added skills and services to over 30,000 students. Areas of training include: systems integration, (such as Microsoft, Cisco) business application (such as Oracle) and networking (such as Linux).
• established a fund that caters annually to over 4,000 graduate and post-graduate students, specializing in Information Technology.
• begun the process of training the entire spectrum of government servants to use the Information Technology as specific to their area of work/expertise.

Pakistan’s population, one of the youngest in the world has consistently provided the country with a steady stream of skilled labor. The demographic profile of the country ensures that it will be supplied with a continued and growing labor pool. In particular:

• 33% of Pakistan's total labor force (41.2 million workers) comprises of urban labor.
• Over 43% of Pakistan's population is below 15 years of age.
• The skilled urban labor force of Pakistan is over 15 million.

The Government of Pakistan guarantees to facilitate profitability and efficiency for investors in Information Technology every step of the way.

• 5 year corporate tax exemption for Information Technology companies.
• 100% repatriation of profits allowed to IT sector companies.
• 100% foreign equity allowed in IT sector.
• 0% custom duties and tariffs on import of all IT related equipment.
• 7 year tax exemption for Venture Capital Funds.
• 0% income tax liability for software development firms.
• 0% sales tax liability on sales of computer software and hardware.

Pakistan's telecom is among the world's widest covering and most sophisticated. Fiber optic infrastructure, initially laid in the early 1990`s, now accounts for well over 85% of the backbone that supports international and national exchange of data.

The government has proactively worked with the national telecom giant, PTCL, to reduce rates, improve access, and increase the level of quality that is delivered. Voice-over-IP and other related auxiliary services are being integrated into the core of the telecom industry.

Perhaps most importantly, the telecom sector is to be fully deregulated in January 2003.

• Bandwidth costs reduced, from $ 60,000 to $ 6,000 a month for E1 circuits.>
• Rapid response delivery mechanism in place-leased lines delivered in 8 weeks or earlier.
• Internet access expansion from 29 cities in August 2000 to over 400 by December 2001.
• Activation of 155 Mbits IP connectivity.
• Deregulation of Internet delivery on Cable TV has been granted full permission.
• DSL deployment in local loop for broadband Internet access.
• Introduction of calling party pays (CPP) regime to boost wireless telecom has resulted in explosive growth.
• License processing time period for telecom services reduced to 7 days.
• Enhancement of infrastructure for IT/ ISPs (PRIs and Digital Cross Connect).

Islamabad, the capital, described by foreign journalists as the virtual Shangri-la of World Capitals. Ranked among the best cities of Asia, by Asiaweek Magazine.

Offering unlimited supplies of low-cost labor, bandwidth, real estate, and most significantly, Pakistan's first Software Technology Park.

The jewels in Pakistan’s IT profile crown, Software Technology Parks were initiated to provide a haven of highly sophisticated, technologically robust, low cost centers of excellence in software development. Due to high demand, the initial phase of the establishment of software technology parks has been followed up with detailed plans for new facilities..

Pakistan’s Software Technology Parks offer one-stop, one-window solutions to the logistical and functional requirements for setting up an IT business in the country.

• Commercial Real Estate: Less than US$ 1 per square foot, in the Tech-enabled, highly sophisticated Software Technology Parks.
• Air-conditioning, security, power generation services are included in the above rent.
• Residential Real Estate: 3-bedroom houses/apartments in the upscale localities of urban Pakistan, average under US$ 300 a month.
• Internet bandwidth:$ 6000 per month for 2Mbit connections.
• Cellular Phone charges: unlimited incoming, outgoing calls under US$ 0.10 a minutes.
• Electricity charges: Commercial rates under US$0.10 per kilowatt-hour.
• Average salaries for IT professionals under US$ 6000 per annum.
• Average salaries for clerical staff under US$ 2000 per annum.

There are clear and obvious advantages of doing business in Pakistan. Low costs, a wealth of trained professionals and a government actively engaged in creating a facilitative and enabling environment.

And its not just one area for which Pakistan should be considered as there are plenty of opportunities to invest in:

• Software development.
• Call centers.
• Transcription services.
• Business process improvement.
• Systems integration.

Since attaining freedom in 1947, sustained economic growth has been a hallmark of Pakistan's economy. The country has never experienced negative growth. Indeed, the new millennium has only served to whet the economy's appetite for growth.

Countless consumer goods, financial, insurance and technology firms have set up their centers in Pakistan.

Companies like Citibank, Cisco Systems, Merrill lynch, HSBC, INTEL, Ericsson, Oracle, Nortel, ABN-AMRO, Invislign Technology, Siemens, Motorola, Microsoft, Compaq and a battalion of other foreign companies are successfully doing business in Pakistan.