ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that having achieved the economic stability, the government would now fully focus on digitisation of the government functioning to curb corruption, introduce digital payments and ease out public difficulties besides bringing transparency.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of Digital Pakistan initiative here on Thursday, the prime minister said his government should have started the programme far earlier, but during the first year, all of the government’s focus remained on stabilising the national economy that, he claimed, had been achieved finally.

The Digital Pakistan vision sets Pakistan’s digital ambition and it has been designed for the government and the private sector to work towards a digitally progressive and inclusive Pakistan. It brings together multiple initiatives that the government has already kicked off, and identifies additional focus areas that the government would initiate in coming months.

Minister for Information Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Special Assistant to PM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, State Bank Governor Baqir Raza and Adviser to PM on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain attended the event besides Tania Aidrus, a Pakistani expatriate who recently quit her job as a Senior Executive in Google to lead the digitisation initiative in the country.

Pakistani executive at Google Tania Aidrus has quit her job to lead the digitisation initiative in the country

The prime minister said the digitisation was vital particularly for the youth for their future employment and the entrepreneurs to set up their businesses without any hassle. It would in fact unleash the true potential of Pakistan’s youth population that could become strength for the country if they were given the opportunity.

Besides opening up the employment opportunities to women of even far-flung areas, the digitisation would also bring e-governance in the country to help eradicate corruption that had taken roots even to the lower level in society.

Through digitisation, the people would be able to carry out many of daily life tasks through their mobile handsets which would bring ease in their lives saving them from long queues outside banks or other government offices.

The prime minister told the gathering that e-governance had been introduced at Shaukat Khanum Hospital some 19 years ago that had ended the pilferage bringing transparency and smoothness in the functioning.

He said some institutions were resisting the government’s digitisation initiative, but resolved that the government would accomplish the task without delay.

He said the government was also striving to promote e-commerce in the country by addressing the allied challenge of cyber security.

The prime minister said that after coming into power, the government was able to understand the challenges of governance and bringing about changes in its team, and referred to make huge changes in Punjab government what he called the bloodbath of reshuffle.

He said that after a policy shift of joining foreign wars against dollars to a peacemaker, Pakistan had become internationally relevant and resolved that the country would play its role to bring unity among the Muslim world.

The prime minister spoke high of Tania Aidrus and Raza Baqir who took difficult decisions of leaving their lucrative jobs in internationals institutions like Google and IMF just to serve their own country.

He confidently assured them that their decisions would prove to be a turning point in their lives because challenging and difficult decisions, particularly those for a greater cause took the people to new heights. Contrarily, he said, those seeking easy solutions, could never accept challenges or risks because their decisions were always self-centric.

He said consequent to efforts by his economic team, the national economy had been stabilised including the rupee that had been under pressure because the previous government had maintained it artificially. However, now the foreign agencies like World Bank, IMF and Moody’s have also acknowledged the stability of Pakistan’s economy.

In his address, IT Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the country was at the crossroads of the digitisation to either chose it or lose it.

He said there was dire need to review the curriculum of IT as out of around 25,000 graduates annually, only five to six thousand could get jobs which manifested the gaps between the education standards in the country and the market needs.

The minister said that in order to join the race of artificial intelligence and 6G technology, Pakistan would have to focus on building the digital infrastructure in the country to facilitate the technological growth.

He also advised the youth to utilise the social media tools like Facebook and YouTube for educational purpose too, not mere socializing or chatting.

State Bank Governor Raza Baqir said the digital payment was a component of digitisation initiative which directly associated with the State Bank. He said digitilisation would facilitate the entrepreneurs to launch their companies and the common man to make transactions through his mobile phone.

The digitisation would also promote microfinance which could support small business sector by lending money at far lower rates than the informal sector.

In her presentation, Tania Aidrus highlighted features of the initiatives and things to do by the government to achieve the objective.

She said having left Pakistan some 20 years ago, she had graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was currently serving in Google in Singapore. However, during the course, she always focused on Pakistan even during her study as well as the professional life.

She told the gathering that the initiative would consist of five strategic pillars including Access and Connectivity, Digital Infrastructure, Digital Skilling and Literacy, E-Government, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The Digital Pakistan was aimed at ensuring access to internet for every Pakistani as a fundamental right, she added.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2019