Telecom, computer services exports grow 3.78pc to $520mn in 6 months

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan earned $539.710 million from the exports of telecommunication, computer and information services during the first half of the current fiscal year, showing growth of 3.78 percent when compared to $520.043 million trade of these services during corresponding period of last year.

Among the telecommunication sector, the services of call centres grew by 9.28 percent, from $45.424 million during July-December (2018-19) to $49.640 million during July-December (2018-19), according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

However, the services exports of the telecommunication services declined by 24.57 percent during the period under review, from $130.909 million to $98.740 million.

The computer services exports increased from $342.940 million last year to $389.830 million, showing growth of 13.67 percent.

The software consultancy service increased by 24.67 percent, from $140.471 million last year to $175.127 million, whereas the hardware consultancy services exports declined from $2.574 million to $0.901 million, 65 percent decline.

Meanwhile, maintenance and repair of compute services earned $3.297 million, which is 259 percent higher when compared to the exports of $0.918 million last year. The services utilized for export and import of computer software also grew one percent, from $146.166 million to $147.623 million. The other computer services exports also increased by 19.07 percent, from $52.811 million to $62.882 million, the PBS data revealed.

Meanwhile, the information services exports went up 94.81 percent by growing from $0.77 million to $1.5 million. Among this group, the news agency services exports increased 7.21 percent, from $0.305 million to $0.327 million whereas other information services increased by 152 percent, from $0.465 million to $1.173 million.

Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of information, computer and information services increased by 4.24 percent in December 2018 to $98 million from $54.010 million last year.

On month-on-month basis, the exports of these services increased 21.03 percent in December 2018 when compared to the exports of $83.940 million, according to the PBS data.

It is pertinent to mention here that the overall services trade deficit during the first half of the current fiscal year shrank by 29.11 percent compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The services trade deficit during July-December (2018-19) was recorded at $1.945 billion against the deficit of $2.744 billion during July-December (2017-18), showing decline of 29.11 percent, official data revealed.