ABC automation to benefit all stakeholders, says Marriyum

Govt striving hard for healthy Pakistan: minister

Islamabad

Computerisation and automation of Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) would be beneficial to all the stakeholders across the board.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, said this while presiding over a consultative session with the representatives of media bodies and officials of federal and provincial information departments on automation system of ABC here on Monday. The regional and local newspapers would also reap benefits of modern technology and new management information system, she said.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that automation was primarily aimed at ensuring credible and authentic newspapers circulation data, as once the online system was in place it would not only prove benevolent for the media industry, but would also enhance transparency and good governance.

The minister of state directed the authorities concerned to share management information system with the stakeholders for the test launch and it was decided that feedback by them would be given due consideration at the formal launch of the automation system.

It was also decided in the meeting that the stakeholders would come up with their feedback latest by May 10, 2017 and the next consultative session would be held on May 15, 2017.

The media bodies appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage in streamlining and facilitating the existing process of Audit Bureau of Circulation and apprised the meeting that they would be holding consultations amongst their representative bodies and others having a stake in the proposed initiative, before giving final feedback on the subject.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Information, Principal Information Officer, ABC Director General, senior officials of provincial information departments, and representatives of All Pakistan Newspapers Society and Council for Pakistan Newspapers Editors.

Later on while talking to Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Gerda Verburg here on Monday Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the Government of Pakistan was striving hard for a healthy Pakistan, through addressing the problem of malnutrition, which it considered a sine quo non for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The setting up of a task force and special cell in the National Assembly and similar entities in the provinces and departments concerned amply demonstrated the commitment with which the government was pursuing that objective, she added.

The minister felt that proactive collaboration and coordination between SDGs and SUN Secretariat was critical for realisation of Pakistan's vision 2025 and said that Pakistan was keen to adopt best practices and learn from the expertise of other countries to achieve the goal of a healthy Pakistan.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that nutrition was the key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and acknowledged that it was a multi-faceted issue, which was prevalent among infants, children, mothers and adolescents. She said that the executive was working with dedication and diligence to advance the agenda of Sustainable Development Goals under the parliamentary oversight and was making all possible efforts to create a congenial and enabling environment to ensure people's access to healthy nutrients, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation so that the children were not exposed to various infections and diarrhoea.

The minister informed Ms Gerda that Pakistan was the first country, which had established its first secretariat of Sustainable Development Goals where thematic sessions were conducted to provide data and information to representatives of the people, so that they could be able to address the issues in their respective constituencies.

Gerda Verburg appreciated the contribution of the Minister of State towards the efforts for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and hoped that Pakistan would not only persist with those efforts but would also take further practical steps to deal with the problem of malnutrition, simultaneously taking care of the issue of stunting growth.