ISLAMABAD: In recent years, the Pakistan government has shifted its focus towards digitization. With over 64% of Pakistan’s population being under the age of 30, there is an enormous potential for successful digital adoption.
Keeping in view the increasing importance of digitization, the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives has directed its Information Technology (IT) section to convert the paperwork into digital recording.
Speaking to WealthPK, Secretary Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Syed Zafar Ali Shah said the E-Office system is efficient, fast, and cost-effective. The IT section has been directed to convert all the records from a manual system to digital within three months.
“The prime objective of this exercise is to promote a paperless environment, and the use of the latest technology in the office,” said the secretary.
Zafar stated that the entire world has transformed into a digital system, and there is a dire need to use the latest technology in the Planning Ministry. He said the IT section will implement an E-Office system in a phase-wise manner. This will be a landmark initiative that will ease the work of officials, and will also prove cost-effective.
Dr Muhammad Jamil, an economist, told WealthPK that the decision of the Planning Ministry to digitize the record is a right step keeping in view the future needs.
“All ministries and other government institutions should be digitized so that transparency and workload could be mitigated through paperless official functions. Digital transformation can help Pakistan unlock up to $59.7 billion in annual economic value by 2030,” he said.
Pakistan is a developing country that got a significant push towards digitization during the Covid-19 pandemic, but was unable to reap the promises of this transformation. According to the “Inclusive Internet Index of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU),” Pakistan is ranked at 90th place. Going digital is often presented as a solution to most of Pakistan’s problems.
As per the Digital Pakistan Policy, put together by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), the Government of Pakistan strives to improve its citizens’ quality of life and economic well-being by ensuring availability of accessible, affordable, reliable and high-quality information communication technology service. The key focus should be on artificial intelligence, big data, the internet of things, and mobile internet, as these are the areas that need significant development.
