ISLAMABAD: According to Dr. Umar Saif, the acting federal minister in charge of IT and telecommunications, 10,000 freelancers will begin getting payments from PayPal in February as part of the trial program.
“In February, we are going to start the first pilot project in which 10,000 freelancers in Pakistan would be able to start receiving payments through PayPal,” he added, speaking at a Tech Destination Pakistan event that also highlighted the opening of E-Rozgar Centers around the nation.
The minister went on to say that the initiative would be expanded nationwide in March and that anyone would be able to make payments using Stripe and PayPal.
He explained that although PayPal will not be arriving in Pakistan directly, a deal has been made for remittances to be routed through PayPal through a third party.
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The newly designed program will exclude freelancers from the requirement to open a PayPal account. The minister clarified that instead, those from outside the nation will pay the freelancers directly from their PayPal accounts, and the money will be transferred into their accounts right away.
According to the minister, the government has developed a system for independent contractors to open bank accounts. He clarified that the only people who would need to show proof of having an account on Fiverr, Upwork, Elance, Toptal, or Crossover are freelancers.
“The IT industry would have a 50% dollar retention policy, which means that whatever you earn, you can keep 50% of that in dollars,” the minister continued. That bank will provide you with a debit card so you can use it at any time.
