Muneeb ur Rehman

Lack of digital infrastructure has been a major hindrance to efficiency and good governance in Gilgit-Baltistan. ”Digitizing Gilgit-Baltistan Program” is a step in the right direction to realize this objective, said Komail Abbas, Deputy Secretary Information Technology Department, Gilgit-Baltistan. Talking to WealthPK, Komail shared information about the ongoing projects for digital connectivity in the region.

“The government is working on e-procurement in its departments. For this purpose, a procurement authority has been established in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Information Technology department handed the digital app over to the finance department recently. Once it gets functional, it will help improve governance through better transparency and efficiency in the tendering processes,” he added.

Maintenance of land records is a cumbersome process. The government plans to digitalize it so that easy access to information would not be an issue for government officials. The Punjab government will give technical assistance and training to the Gilgit-Baltistan officials in this regard.

He highlighted the need for tourism prospects and explained the importance of digitizing programs for the tourism sector. According to official statistics, more than one million tourists visited Gilgit-Baltistan last year.n He said, “Tourism apps would be introduced that would give tourists easy access to information. They would be able to buy online tickets, rent vehicles, and book rooms in advance while coming in contact with the local hotel owners.”

“For all that to happen, digital infrastructure is the key. To achieve this goal, the government is engaged with private companies in the telecom sector. Besides Special Communication Organization (SCO), a public sector organization, three private companies are also working in the region,” he added.

He also mentioned the importance of the digitization program for the youth of Gilgit-Baltistan. The young population will get IT loans to acquire digital skills. There is an IT park in Gilgit city, while three parks are to be built in Ghizer, Hunza and Chilas within two years. The government wants to extend the IT parks to the remaining areas of the region so that more and more population would get dividends from digital sources.

He admitted that the energy shortage was a major hurdle to the Information technology (IT) sector. The IT department has installed solar solutions at the digital training centres in Jutial and Chilmasdaas, Gilgit. Likewise, the government is committed to relying more on solar energy in future, he asserted.

“To me, Gilgit-Baltistan region is underprivileged. The provincial government is focusing on particular programs on a priority basis. Digitization program is among those programs that has the potential to improve both governance and the livelihoods of people,” Komail said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk