Global tech leader Google launched an initiative on Thursday to manufacture half a million Chromebooks in Pakistan. The first device was presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to celebrate the start of production.
At a ceremony in Islamabad, Scott Beaumont, President of Google Asia Pacific, handed PM Shehbaz the first locally produced Chromebook.
During his speech, the Prime Minister praised Google’s global and local contributions and highlighted the potential of Pakistan’s youth in information technology, emphasizing their role in economic growth.
PM Shehbaz urged federal and provincial governments to maximize resources for educating and empowering young people.
He announced a government target to reach $25 billion in IT exports over the next five years, deeming it achievable. He called on IT professionals and entrepreneurs to develop strategies to meet this goal and to boost small and medium-sized enterprises and freelancers.
Further, PM Shehbaz committed to digitizing and making the country’s governance system paperless to combat widespread corruption.
The government recently appointed a new IT secretary through a transparent process.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, mentioned Google’s significant role in Pakistan’s digital transformation, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision.
Farhan S. Qureshi, Google’s Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, discussed how technology focus could spur economic activity and noted substantial opportunities for freelancers in Pakistan’s tech sectors.
Information Minister Tarar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also attended the event.
