The federal government is advancing digital governance by integrating federal and provincial regulators into the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) eService Portal. The Board of Investment (BOI), in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, organised a ceremony on Wednesday to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for this integration.
The signed MoUs include agreements with NEPRA, PEMRA, SNGPL, DRAP, IESCO, PITC, and Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), with further integrations planned with the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) and Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) in the next phase.
The event, chaired by Federal Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, saw senior officials from key organizations participate in the initiative.Â
BOI’s Director General Mahmood Tufail presented an overview of the IT readiness survey conducted by BOI, identifying 16 agencies for integration with SECP. He highlighted that this integration will be part of the Pakistan Business Portal, a World Bank-funded digital platform designed to streamline business operations in the country.
The federal minister for investment expressed his support for the initiative, calling it a significant step in the country’s digital transformation. He emphasized that the integration would eliminate inefficiencies, improve transparency, and create a more competitive environment for attracting investment.
The BOI is also advancing the development of Business Facilitation Centers (BFCs), which will serve as centralized service points for investors across Pakistan, facilitating the ease of doing business.
Representatives from various participating organizations praised the efforts of BOI in bridging gaps between institutions and advancing digital governance. The Chairman of PEMRA noted that Pakistan has been slow in adopting digital technologies but welcomed SECP’s integration as a timely initiative. The CEO of DRAP mentioned that the integration will reduce delays and prevent fraud, while also highlighting DRAP’s progress in digitizing processes.
The representatives of SNGPL and IESCO shared their positive experiences with digital systems and noted that the integration with SECP will further enhance efficiency, particularly for industrial users.
As part of the Pakistan Regulatory Modernization Initiative (PRMI), the government is moving forward with regulatory reforms aimed at simplifying processes, enhancing digitization, and strengthening investor confidence. The event concluded with plans to continue expanding the initiative to include additional regulators.
