The government has allocated a major chunk of the development funds for the Special Communications Organization (SCO), which is only operating in Azad Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, leaving little money for other important projects across the country, which will resultantly get delayed.
Besides getting a major share in the development budget, the SCO was awarded a free-of-cost spectrum in the recently held auction, for which private cellular mobile companies paid millions of dollars.
The government allocated Rs. 9.361 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2021-22 for the Information Technology and Telecommunication Division where major shares of Rs. 3.147 billion i.e. 34 percent was allocated for SCO for 2021-22.
According to the official documents, the government allocated Rs. 2.311 billion under PSDP 2021-22 for new schemes of the Information and Telecom Division and Rs. 7.050 billion for ongoing schemes. The government allocated Rs. 2.8 billion i.e. 40 percent of the Rs. 7.050 billion for SCO.
The Ministry of Planning and Development documents revealed that Rs. 4.133 billion have so far been authorized for release for the Telecom Division, however, the Ministry is silent on how much was authorized for which project.
An overview of development projects is given as below;
Ongoing Projects:
| Name of Project | Approval Status | Estimated Cost | Expenditure up to 30-6-2021 | Throw Forward 1-7-2021 | Rupees in Million | |||||
| Total | Foreign | Foreign | Rupee | |||||||
| Blended Virtual Education (VU) | 11.08.2020 | 5,990 | 0 | 300 | 5,690 | 0 | 955 | |||
| Certification of IT Professionals
(PSEB)
|
15-10-2019 | 901 | 0 | 375.193 | 526.057 | 0 | 250 | |||
| Crime Analytics and Smart Policing
in Pakistan (PITB)
|
15-10-2019 | 274.360 | 0 | 90 | 184.36 | 0 | 184.36 | |||
| Demand-Driven Industry Quality
and Capacity Enhancement Program (NITB)
|
16-9-2020 | 523.120 | 0 | 41.5 | 481.62 | 0 | 100 | |||
| Enhancing IT Exports Through Industry Support programs (PSEB)
|
11-2-2016 | 259.6 | 0 | 181.19 | 78.410 | 0 | 25 | |||
| Establishment of Data Center for Providing Cloud-based Services in AJ&K and GB (SCO)
|
29-5-2020 | 770 | 0 | 57 | 713 | 0 | 250 | |||
| Establishment of SCO Technical
Training Institute (STTI) at Gilgit in GB
|
9-6-2017 | 100 | 0 | 46.877 | 53.123 | 0 | 53.123 | |||
| Establishment of SINO-Pak Center
for Artificial Intelligence (PAF-IAST)
|
20-1-2020 | 991.412 | 243.3 | 346.1 | 645.312 | 0 | 312 | |||
| Expansion of Broadband Services
in AJ&K and GB in Cities and Town Phase-II (SCO) Expansion of Broadband Services Through MSAN Technology and Upgradation of IP Core and Access Network in AJK and GB |
6-4-2020 | 1,898 | 0 | 200 | 1,698 | 0 | 376 | |||
| Expansion of Cellular Services in
AJ&K and GB Phase-III
|
`6-8-2019 | 3,208 | 0 | 1,750 | 1458 | 0 | 616.228 | |||
| High Impact Skills Boot Camp (IT
Wing)
|
4-10-2019 | 338.552 | 0 | 36.12 | 302.432 | 0 | 150 | |||
| National Expansion Plan of NIC’s
All over Pakistan (PITB)
|
28-1-2020 | 751.880 | 0 | 90 | 661.880 | 0 | 231 | |||
| National Freelance Training
Program
|
6-8-2019 | 367.160 | 0 | 46 | 321.160 | 0 | 155 | |||
| One Patient One ID (NITB) | 24-8-2020 | 95 | 0 | 20 | 75 | 0 | 30 | |||
| Project Monitoring and Digital
Transformation Cell (IT Wing)
|
21-11-2019 | 146.899 | 0 | 35.800 | 111.099 | 0 | 50 | |||
| Protection and Upgradation of PakChina Phase-I OFC Project for
Establishment of Cross Border Connectivity Project
|
6-4-2020 | 1,948.310 | 0 | 250 | 1,698.310 | 0 | 500 | |||
| Smart Office Federal Ministries &
Departments PSDP through MoITT (NITB)
|
16-9-2020 | 572.80 | 0 | 30 | 542.800 | 0 | 150 | |||
| Standardization of IT Industry
(PSEB)
|
6-4-2020 | 371 | 0 | 59.460 | 311.540 | 0 | 175 | |||
| Technology Parks Development
Project (TDP) at Islamabad (PhaseI) (EDCF Loan Exim Bank Korea) (Dev. Wing)
|
20-12-2016 | 13,727.070 | 11,797.635 | 2348.813 | 11,378.257 | 1250 | 250 | |||
| Upgradation of Existing TDM Based
Backhaul Microwave with IP Based Backhaul Microwave Network in AJ&K and GB (SCO) |
6-4-2020 | 855 | 0 | 200 | 655 | 0 | 300 | |||
| Upgradation of Transmission
Network and Replacement of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) in AJ&K and GB
|
6-4-2020 | 1780 | 0 | 250 | 1530 | 0 | 500 | |||
| Total Ongoing | 37,640.673 | 12,040.935 | 8,253.858 | 29,386.815 | 1,250 | 5,800 | ||||
New Schemes
| Name of Project | Approval Status | Estimated Cost | Expenditure up to 30-6-2021 | Throw Forward 1-7-2021 | Rupees in Million | |||
| Total | Foreign | Foreign | Rupee | |||||
| Cyber Security for Digital Pakistan | 31-3-2021 | 1,940 | 0 | 0 | 1,940 | 0 | 100 | |
| Establishment of 25 STPs in Pakistan Phase-I (PSEB) | 31-3-2021 | 605 | 0 | 0 | 605 | 0 | 150 | |
| Establishment of IT Park Karachi | 4-6-2021 | 31,199 | 26,479 | 0 | 31,199 | 0 | 400 | |
| Feasibility Study and Consultancy for Development of Special Technology Zone (STZ) | 8-2-2021 | 286 | 0 | 0 | 286 | 0 | 90 | |
| Feasibility Study Establishment of National Data Centre and Social Media Application | 27-5-2021 | 483.84 | 0 | 0 | 483.84 | 0 | 100 | |
| General Data Protection Regulation Compliance Management System ISO 27701 (PSEB) | 31-3-2021 | 110.791 | 0 | 0 | 110.791 | |||
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SCO is such a scam and actually they are only company when you complaint their representatives gives threats in reply. I can’t understand why they get away with these discount and taxes. Private technology companies struggle and pay lot of taxes and SCO type org not only do systematic corruption but also in appointment too look PTA chairman who was SCO head and case of nepotism. He honestly barely qualify for it.
SCO is owned by Pakistan Army. So we cannot question them. But it is sad that Pakistan Army is running Commercial projects. This is against Professionalism in my view. This is one of the reasons that major telecom companies are not investing in Gilgit and AJK anymore as they cannot compete with SCO because of huge government support.
It is my request to Pakistan to please stay away from commercial projects and please stop expansions of DHA, Housing Schemes, FWO, Fauj Cereals, Fauji Meat and so many other projects. It is not increasing the reputation of our respectable armed forces.