Draft action plan 2 – Priority action 2 (already under way*) TABLE 7 Increase the role of the Prime Minister’s Office in supporting a holistic agenda and implementation of digital economy priorities (in particular, investor confidence through an improved enabling environment). Review the Digital Nation Pakistan (DNP) Act 2024 that was recently approved by the cabinet to offer legislative assistance and ensure that creating an enabling environment for digital economy players, especially DFDI players, is an important component Engage with DCO member states and the World Economic Forum’s network to exchange lessons learned and governance priorities from experienced countries Promote active dialogue between the Prime Minister’s Office and local digital leaders and champions (who will be engaged through priority action 1) to ensure active understanding of and alignment with industry needs and demands2.12 2.2 2.3 The World Economic Forum, DCO and Tabadlab will provide support for the implementation of these action plans *The Federal Cabinet approved the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2024, aimed at establishing the National Digital Commission (NDC) and the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA). The NDC, headed by the prime minister, will serve as a policy-making organization while the PDA will function as a corporate entity with financial and administrative autonomy. Draft action plan 3 – Priority action 3 TABLE 8 Enhance human capital by bridging the industry–academia gap to improve digital skill sets through advanced education and internationally accredited training programmes. Undertake a landscaping activity to create a directory (including enrolment number, pass-out percentage, financial arrangements, etc.) of all digital-skills courses being offered through various private and public-sector programmes such as those under Ignite, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Undertake rapid assessment, including gap analysis, to identify skills deficit vis-à-vis the industry’s demand; hold consultations with key actors in the IT and skills sector (e.g. Pakistan Software Houses Association [P@SHA], provincial IT boards and NAVTTC) to get a holistic understanding The World Economic Forum and DCO to share good practices on designing industry–academia cooperation mechanisms Create an industry–academia consortium to study the findings of the rapid assessment and skills gap to identify and align on remedial measures; enable and use knowledge-sharing/good practice exchange between digital FDI project countries and DCO member states Develop a skills enhancement roadmap – which should clearly delineate targets and milestones, responsibilities and accreditation partners – that focuses on how to: 1) increase the supply of highly qualified trainers (related to removing PhD requirements), 2) reduce the cost of training for participants, and 3) enrich the curriculum Seek approval on the roadmap from the Digital FDI steering committee Execute the roadmap within the stipulated duration, ensuring robust monitoring and evaluation during the implementation phase3.13 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 The World Economic Forum, DCO and Tabadlab will provide support for the implementation of these action plans Digital FDI Initiative: Digital FDI-Enabling Project in Pakistan 22

Digital FDI Initiative Pakistan 2025