Pakistan PM sets one-month deadline for government offices to switch to paperless system

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered the information technology (IT) ministry and relevant departments to make all federal government offices paperless by implementing an “e-office” system within a month in order to make official affairs speedy and transparent.

The electronic office, or e-office, refers to an increased use of computer-based information technology in order to reduce complex and lengthy procedures.

Pakistan, which has been embroiled in an economic crisis for the last few years, is currently trying to improve governance and overcome its financial woes through institutional reforms.
In a statement issued from his office, Sharif warned that any delay in implementation of the e-office system in government offices would not be tolerated.

“There should be no file work without e-office in government offices from next month,” he said. “Implementation of e-office is the top priority of the government to speed up the system and bring transparency to it.”

He directed all departments to ensure file work through e-offices within this period.

On the direction of the prime minister, the PM Office staff has already completed the e-office training, according to the statement.

“E-office is an important step toward improving governance and promoting digitization in the country,” Sharif said, directing authorities to submit a report on the progress of the initiative in next two weeks.

Last week, State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Pakistan had planned to establish a National Digital Commission to ensure digitization of its economy and paperless governance.

“It will not only improve governance and tax collection efficiency, but it will also smoothen the inter-ministerial coordination,” she was quoted as saying by the state media.

The minister said paperless governance was “vital” to speed up government operations and it would help remove procedural bottlenecks.