Core government businesses: Pakistan first among Saarc states to introduce e-office/e-filing

Pakistan has become the first among Saarc countries to introduce e-office/e-filing automation of core businesses of the government which would help in ensuring efficiency, good governance, transparency, accountability and cost-effective public services. According to initial assessment the automation would help save Rs 14 billion per annum, besides ensuring transparency and accountability.
The Ministry of Information Technology set an example by replacing the conventional manual system with electronic system named as e-office/e-filing since July 2015. It costs Rs 38 million to introduce e-office and now the ministry has become paperless, except in top secret files, said State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rehman, while briefing the media on the project.
Contrary to other officials of the ministry, Anusha Rehman was not confident enough to announce that E-office would be hundred percent risk-free from cyber attacks while saying that one cannot guarantee it. However the ministry officials claimed that it would not be put on internet but it would be intra-net which guarantee it hundred percent secure. The Minister further said that the ministry is planning to introduce E-office in 13 federal ministries/departments by the end of current financial year, depending on the response and procurement of hardware and other related by concerned ministries/departments. The IT ministry has the license and can introduce the system in all provinces, depending on their demands.
Ministry officials said that Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces have already contacted and shown interest in introducing E-system in their respective provinces. Further the project is legally covered and certified from the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Anusha Rehman said that the ministry endeavours to implement government vision of e-Governance by taking several vital initiatives agency specific and common software applications through electronic means. Presently, MoIT is aggressively pursuing the implementation of flagship project e-office/e-filing System in the federal government. In this regard, MoIT through NITB is committed to support, and provide technical assistance to all federal ministries/divisions and attached departments in addressing their growing needs of business processes automation and infrastructure.
The E-office suite is the automation of core businesses of the government to ensure efficiency, accuracy, effectiveness and good governance, transparency and accountability in decision making and delivery of efficient and cost-effective public services. The E-office Suite consists of six modules including e-filing module. The main purpose of the e-filing module is to promote less paper/digital government. In its first phase, e-office suite is being implemented in 13 Ministries/Divisions/Departments including Ministry of Information Technology, PM Office, National Assembly Secretariat, Ministry of Science & Technology, Finance Division and Planning Division, Establishment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc. Subsequently, it will be implemented in all other Federal Ministries/Divisions in a phased manner. Moreover, 4,400 officials of different ministries and departments have been given training in this regard.