KP launches digital policy

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday formally launched its digital policy which it says will transform governance in the province.

Announcing the policy at a press conference at the Cabinet Room, Civil Secretariat, Kamran Bangash, Special Assistant of the chief minister on Science and Technology and Information Technology (STIT), said the policy was aimed at making governance in the province more efficient by bringing transparency and accountability to it.

He said the digital policy stood on four pillars that included digital governance, digital skills, digital economy and digital access.

The special assistant said digital governance focuses on improving the institutional capability to deliver better public services, improve accountability, productivity and efficiency with better citizen engagement.

Kamran Bangash said the provincial cabinet at its November 22 meeting has already approved the paperless governance system and the land record of five districts was being computerised.

He added that the automation of the judiciary would also be initiated after consulting chief justice of the High Court.

Similarly, the STIT in collaboration with the Local Government Department would transform five cities as smart cities to ensure better service delivery.

The special assistant said that next year a smart cities conference would be convened while homework to set up citizens facilitation centres has also been completed.

The chief minister’s special assistant informed that e-office was being launched in five department and efforts were on to acquire license for others.

He said the STIT has also established cyber security wing to secure data of all public sector entities.

About the digital skills component, he said a digital competency and literacy framework was being developed to improve digital literacy levels and maximize the use of technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education; as well as technical, vocational education and training for improved learning outcomes.

He said an agreement had been concluded with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide support for advance digital skills.

Kamran Bangash added that business community of the province has been taken on board as the STIT wanted to assist traditional industry, fresh graduates, and Information Technology (IT) companies, while early-age programming would be launched to train children on digital skills.

Under it’s digital economy module, the STIT intends to promote digital payments to increase financial inclusion, improve efficiency of financial transactions and expand documented economy in the province, he maintained.