Stifling IT.

While the government has claimed that it is looking to promote and incentivise the IT industry, its actions have repeatedly only added more hurdles to its functioning in the past seven months. The most recent decision to revoke the authorisation of direct carrier billing (DCB) is yet another problematic policy that must be reconsidered.

DCB is a means to make online payments via one's mobile vendor, which allows for users to buy apps, make in-app purchases, and other transactions such as those related to mobile gaming. This is a conventional method to make mobile purchases that is utilised around the world. Experts claim that roughly $60 million is paid annually through mobile carriers to pay for apps and tools or subscription fees of several over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

For the State Bank of Pakistan to reverse a practice that has allowed for an unbanked sector to pay digitally is seriously problematic. This move looks to be a feeble attempt at restricting foreign currency outflow out of the country, but the only thing this...