01 Nov 2006 Overview of e-commerce in Pakistan

When the government started an information-technology (IT) and e-commerce initiative in early 2000, the banks were expected to lead the way into e-commerce. However, although the banking sector is the leading spender on information communications technology, the most progress in e-commerce has been in “e-government”. Some business-to-business (B2B) portals are available, but they are designed more for information than transactions.

Half of the country’s 7,000 commercial-bank branches, including 90% of the branches in urban areas, had been computerised by August 2006. Many banks and exchange companies offer online funds transfers from overseas, such as for workers remittances. A few of banks offer mobile-phone banking, where customers can pay utility bills using their mobile phones. The National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT), an automated check-clearing house, was operating in 14 cities in August 2006, and it processed 60m checks per year in 2005/06. NIFT is a public-private company owned 51% by banks.

Internet merchant accounts (used for processing financial transactions of Internet vendors) were permitted by the State Bank of Pakistan (the central bank) in February 2001. However, inadequate infrastructure and security concerns remain, and in mid-2006 only Citibank (US) offered these accounts, which were used by airlines, mobile companies, Internet service providers and merchants. The transactions that do occur use international credit cards, which are processed outside Pakistan. Users of Internet merchant accounts undertaking transactions outside Pakistan need to submit electronic forms for transactions valued at US$500 or more to their banks, which must then submit the same in consolidated form on a monthly basis to the central bank.

In December 2005 the Central Board of Revenue, the tax authority, started allowing electronic filing of sales tax and federal excise returns by registered private and public companies. At that time, it said that it expected about 1,500 large taxpayers out of 22,000 to use the facility. Government efforts to promote the IT sector include the establishment of the Information Technology and Telecommunications Division in July 2000, various incentives, and the commitment of resources for education and infrastructure building. The Ministry of Science and Technology launched the National Information Technology Policy in August 2000. It was developed by a team that included working groups on the following: human-resource development; IT in government and databases; IT market development and support; IT fiscal issues; telecoms, convergence and deregulation; cyberlaw, legislation and intellectual-property rights; IT research and development; Internet development; software export; e-commerce; and incentives for IT investment.

Total spending (by the government and private sector) on information, communications and technology in Pakistan was US$10bn during 2005/06. Various e-commerce projects and initiatives were underway in the public and private sectors in August 2006. The government said in May 2004 that it has planned new IT and e-commerce projects worth well over PRs4.5bn up to 2007, and by then it aims to produce 100,000 graduates a year in IT studies from the seven new IT universities it has already set up.

Pakistan is part of the 15-member Asia Pacific Council for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport. The council aims to support the United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport. Pakistan is a member of the Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, a non-governmental organisation that promotes trade facilitation, electronic business policies and activities in the Asia–Pacific region.