Pakistan’s $69.91 Million DEEP Project Faces Delays

The World Bank has rated the progress of the “Pakistan: Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP)” as moderately satisfactory. Pakistan’s $69.91 million DEEP project aims to enhance the government’s capacity to deliver digitally enabled public services to citizens and businesses. Initially, the project cost was $78 million but has been revised to the current amount. Despite these adjustments, no funds have been disbursed so far, highlighting challenges in the project’s implementation.
Initial Delays and Current Challenges
The World Bank documents reveal that the project faced delays during its start-up phase. To meet annual targets, implementing agencies must prioritize time-sensitive administrative tasks and coordinate with provinces to streamline digital services. These delays underscore the urgency of addressing administrative inefficiencies to achieve the project’s broader goals.
Bridging the Digital Divide
DEEP focuses on expanding broadband access and reducing the digital divide, which remains significant across Pakistan. This effort includes improving the enabling environment through reforms to expand connectivity and strengthen the policy framework for the digital economy. Such initiatives aim to ensure equitable access to digital services in underserved and remote regions of the country.
Institutional and Regulatory Enhancements
The project emphasizes institutional, policy, and regulatory reforms. Key government entities, including the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and the Board of Investment (BoI), are integral to its implementation. Technical assistance will enable these organizations to adopt global best practices, ensuring effective governance of the digital ecosystem.
Transformative Citizen Services
Under DEEP, NADRA will develop a secure data exchange layer for government agencies, facilitating seamless information sharing. Additionally, the project includes a digital wallet for citizens to store their credentials securely. This innovation could revolutionize access to public and private services, ranging from obtaining birth certificates to enabling secure banking transactions.
Alignment with the Digital Pakistan Policy
The project aligns with the 2018 Digital Pakistan Policy, particularly its objective to establish a holistic enterprise architecture and integrate government databases and systems through e-government service portals. This alignment ensures that DEEP contributes to the broader vision of a digitally empowered Pakistan.
Key Components of Pakistan’s DEEP Project:
DEEP comprises three main components:
- Improving Digital Economy, Governance, and Service Capabilities
- Technical assistance for regulatory reforms, including Right-of-Way (RoW) reforms and broadband infrastructure mapping.
- Efforts to improve smartphone affordability and stimulate demand for digital services.
- Pakistan Business Portal (PBP)
- Modernizing regulatory frameworks at federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
- Simplifying and digitizing compliance processes for businesses.
- Establishing a centralized portal for regulatory approvals and reforms.
- Project Management
- Establishing Project Management Units (PMUs) for effective implementation.
- Providing oversight through the MoITT’s Member for Information Technology.
Addressing Implementation Gaps
Despite strong policy instruments and existing systems like national ID and payment frameworks, a lack of interoperability and implementation support has limited the government’s ability to exchange data securely. DEEP aims to address these gaps, unlocking opportunities for digital transformation across sectors.
Our Verdict:
The DEEP initiative holds the potential to bridge Pakistan’s digital divide, modernize regulatory frameworks, and enhance citizen services. However, overcoming initial delays and ensuring efficient implementation are crucial for achieving these transformative goals.
See Also: Is PTI Government Behind the Slow Internet in Pakistan?
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