Sindh plans e-networking system for land-holding agencies

The Sindh government has decided to establish a system to ensure e-networking among all the land-holding departments and agencies so that investors could verify the land record easily.

This decision was taken at a follow-up meeting between Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a World Bank delegation led by its vice president of equitable growth, finance and institutions, Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, at the CM House on Saturday.

The World Bank delegation members were Sayeid Shabih Ali Mohib, Mohammad Waheed and Amjad Bashir. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and Secretary Investment Ahsan Mangi.

The World Bank vice president and her team suggested that the provincial government should create more convenience and ease for investors to obtain NOCs for launching their businesses. The investors should not go from one department to another for obtaining NOCs, and they should only apply to the investment department for launching a business for which the investment department should get clearance from all the relevant departments and agencies.

The chief minister said that the delay in issuing NOCs was due to multiple land-holding departments and agencies; therefore, the chief minister directed the investment department to develop am e-networking system among all the land-holding agencies so that the investment department could write to them on its own for NOCs.

Shah also directed chief secretary to make reforms at the sub-registrar level of the Board of Revenue so that registration, transfer and mutation issues of properties could be digitalised and resolved within a day.

The World Bank appreciated the chief minister for his interest in developing ease of doing business in Sindh. The portal launched by the Sindh government at the SBCA (Sindh Building Control Authority) has produced good results, but still the provincial government has to expand its networking further.

The World Bank assured the government of providing technical assistance in developing the networking system.

The meeting also appreciated the Sindh Revenue Board’s performance in tax collection, saying it had proved to be the most efficient, business friendly tax-collecting agency.

It appreciated the government’s move to develop an efficient social protection system under the PPP manifesto it had announced in the 2018 general elections. Under the manifesto, women empowerment had been assured by advancing small loans for launching cottage industry, poverty alleviation programmes, food security, health programs etc, it said.

The chief minister thanked the World Bank for supporting water sector projects of Sindh, including rehabilitation of the Sukkur and Guddu barrages for the improvement of the rural economy and supporting the water board’s reforms programme.