Pakistan could generate $60 billion to $80 billion in economic gains over the next five years by accelerating digital transformation, according to a briefing by the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) to the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom.
The proposed transformation aims to improve government services, boost economic growth and expand the country’s digital economy. Although Pakistan has developed more than 100 digital platforms, fragmented systems, administrative inefficiencies and weak coordination continue to limit their effectiveness.
The PDA has proposed a national digital transformation framework that includes a National Digital Masterplan, digital public infrastructure, common technology standards and stronger coordination between federal and provincial governments. The initiative aims to connect existing systems, reduce duplicated investments and improve public service delivery.
According to the briefing, digital transformation could generate more than $9 billion in gains for agriculture, deliver $450 million in healthcare savings, attract an additional $15 billion in real estate investment and generate $6 billion in additional revenue for small and medium-sized enterprises, commerce and retail by 2030.
The authority has also proposed a Pakistan Digital Stack, secure data-sharing systems and improved data governance, including the adoption of artificial intelligence. However, the projected economic gains remain estimates and will depend on the effective implementation of reforms and integration of existing digital systems.