By Muneeb ur Rehman

 The growth of the telecom sector in Pakistan holds promise for rural development, facilitating enhanced market access, off-farm employment opportunities, and improved access of the rural population to the financial services. Talking to WealthPK, Maroof Ali Syed, Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP), said with the world becoming more interconnected, the rural areas are increasingly positioned to benefit from enhanced connectivity. Pakistan, where 62.27% of the people live in rural areas, is benefiting from the increasing number of mobile phone subscribers, and Highspeed Broadband Data users (3G/4G). According to the Pakistan Economic Survey, the mobile data usage in FY2022 was 8,970 petabytes, signifying a 31% upsurge compared to the previous year. Based on the data extrapolated from the July-December 2022 period, it is anticipated that the usage will attain 10,633 petabytes during the FY2023-24.

He explained the importance of the telecom sector for off-farm labour opportunities in the rural districts. “The telecom sector provides a wide range of employment opportunities for both genders. By establishing connections on both national and international scales, the rural products of Pakistan are gaining access to the local markets through online marketing platforms such as Amazon and Shopify,” said Maroof. He added that the telecom sector is helping to sell handmade goods, organic foods that last long, and many kinds of services, especially online education. The gig economy and freelancing opportunities have expanded, Maroof Ali said, thanks to the telecom sector. Young people with education and skills in graphic design, content writing, or digital marketing can get jobs or gigs online through sites like Upwork and Fiverr, even if they live in remote areas.

 The CERP chief executive officer lauded the government’s initiative for promoting gender inclusion with the aim of extending the benefits of the telecom sector in an inclusive manner.In order to enhance gender participation in rural development, the PTA has initiated "Gender Inclusion in ICTs" program in partnership with UNESCO, GSMA, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) with the aim of narrowing the digital gender gap in the country. It is expected that the continued expansion of the telecom sector will yield positive outcomes for the rural development of Pakistan in future.

Credit: INP-WealthPk