Launch markets
Built for markets most global tools were not built for.
Business in Pakistan and the Gulf runs on WhatsApp, in several languages and scripts, in several currencies and under new data-protection laws. Portugal and the wider EU bring the strictest privacy, AI and consumer rules in the world.
- 1Pakistan home base
- 2Oman and GCC
- 3Portugal and EU
- 4Local entities as demand grows
Pakistan
PKRMSE-07A Country Brief — PakistanRole
Home market and engineering base. The founder has been based in Rawalpindi–Islamabad since 2012.
Offer at entry
Services first — consultations, advisory and project delivery for SMEs — with engineering run from Pakistan.
Currency & tax
Corporate tax 29% (20% for small companies). IT exports taxed at 0.25% of export proceeds for PSEB-registered exporters until tax year 2029 (Finance Act 2026), 1% if unregistered. Super tax of 8% above Rs500m does not apply where export proceeds exceed 80% of turnover. Section 6A digital transaction tax 1%/2% (to verify).
Policy alignment
| Policy or programme | What it means |
|---|---|
| Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 | Enacted January 2025; creates the National Digital Commission and the Pakistan Digital Authority. |
| National AI Policy 2025 | Approved 30 July 2025: one million AI professionals by 2030; 1,000 local AI products in five years; AI Innovation Fund and AI Venture Fund. |
| IT export regime | 0.25% on export proceeds for PSEB-registered exporters until tax year 2029 (Finance Act 2026); 1% unregistered. |
| Ignite NICs | National Incubation Centres, including Rawalpindi. |
| SMEDA SME strategy | Prime Minister's directive of 16 September 2026. |
| Raast P2M | State Bank instant person-to-merchant payments. |
Set-up sequence
- 1Choose Punjab or Islamabad as the base
- 2Incorporate with SECP (eZfile)
- 3Obtain an NTN from FBR (IRIS)
- 4Register for sales tax on services — PRA 5% on IT services without input adjustment (standard 16%); ICT 5%; exports zero-rated if received through banking channels
- 5Register with PSEB
- 6Open business and Exporters' Special Foreign Currency Accounts (retain 50% of export proceeds)
- 7Connect licensed payment partners, including Raast
Key regulatory items
- PECA 2016, amended January 2025 (creates SMPRA); rules still being drafted as of April 2026.
- No general data-protection law in force (bill in draft since 2018) — the platform applies international-standard protections anyway.
- Cloud First Policy 2022: in-country hosting only for restricted public-sector data.
- SBP licenses PSPs and EMIs — the platform never holds funds.
- PayPal and Stripe not launched in Pakistan as of September 2026.
- Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005; draft E-Commerce Policy 2.0.
- Form R simplified since April 2026 (only required above US$25,000).
- Double-taxation agreements with Oman and Portugal.
Collaboration institutions
Action checklist
- Confirm Punjab or Islamabad baseOpen
- Incorporate with SECPOpen
- Register NTN and sales taxOpen
- Register with PSEBOpen
- Open export and foreign-currency accountsOpen
- Contract licensed payment partnersOpen
Items to verify
- PRA zero-rating conditions
- Application of section 6A
- Approval of E-Commerce Policy 2.0 and the National Data Governance Policy 2026
- SMPRA registration rules
- PSEB fees
Summaries of the country briefs (Edition 1.0, September 2026). Facts marked to verify are still being confirmed. This is not legal or tax advice; take local professional advice before acting.
Four languages, right to left included
Urdu and Arabic are supported right-to-left, Roman Urdu included, with multi-currency pricing per market. Market sizes are deliberately not stated here; they will be established in MSE-54 Market Sizing & Competitive Analysis.