DPM Dar calls Google Chromebook assembly line launch ‘defining moment’

• Google to train 100,000 developers nationwide, says DPM.
• Adds govt working on fair, investment-friendly tax regime.
• “Concrete” steps being taken toward digital Pakistan: Dar
  

Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said that the government is taking “concrete” steps to realise the vision of a digital nation, describing the launch of Pakistan’s first Chromebook assembly line as a “defining moment” in the country’s digital transformation.

Addressing the event, “Building the Digital Future, Together,” which marked the launch, the deputy prime minister said that localising this initiative will make digital tools more affordable and accessible, especially within the education sector.

“From the launch of Pakistan’s first Chromebook assembly line to Google’s announcement of establishing a local presence in Pakistan and to the agreement between the Government of Pakistan and Google to upskill our youth, this is a defining moment for our country’s digital transformation,” Dar said addressing the event attended by federal ministers, IT experts and representatives of tech giant Google.

The deputy prime minister said that the initiative held great economic significance, marking an industrial milestone to laying the foundation for jobs, supply chain development, and future technology exports.

He said that the step would bring Google closer to Pakistan’s developers, startups, and entrepreneurs, enabling direct collaboration, capacity building, and great access to global platforms.

“Let me assure you, the management of Google, you won’t regret setting up all this in Pakistan… You will be very happy to be here… And in the years to come, you’ll find many multinational and others partners coming here,” he added.

The deputy prime minister said that Pakistan is moving “fairly fast” to achieve the position in the comity of nations, which it was originally destined.

‘Google to train 100,000 developers nationwide’

Dar said that under the MoU, Google and Pakistan would collaborate to provide AI skills training for 100,000 developers nationwide.

He said that the incumbent government is committed to creating an environment suitable for technology investment, collaboration, and the establishment of a sustainable local presence.

For this, he said the government had established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to facilitate establishing businesses in the least possible time.

“Our policies aim to make Pakistan a regional hub for technology development, backed by a regulatory framework that supports innovations, ensures transparency, and encourages investment.”

Addressing the concerns of high fiscal tax rates, the deputy prime minister said the government was pursuing an agenda to establish a reasonable, affordable, and comparable tax structure.

Coming to the country’s economic outlook, he said that the government is striving to regain and ensure that Pakistan is all set to enter the global G20 club as soon as possible.

He also told the gathering that while Pakistan has total debt and liabilities of $130 billion, it was blessed with mines and minerals, with stones, with hydrocarbons worth around $6 trillion to $10 trillion.

The deputy prime minister, who returned from Istanbul after attending the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers, said that last month, the Gaza peace agreement was signed in the presence of President Trump by eight countries.

“Now the efforts are underway to implement that peace agreement, he added.”