The Governance Innovation Lab (GIL), under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, has taken a major step towards making information about the Rs. 750-billion development expenditure of Pakistan accessible to the masses.
Addressing the roundtable conference organized by the GIL, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that to ensure transparency in governance and development projects we have decided to upload all the approved PC1s to a portal for the citizens to understand what we are working on and scrutinize those projects.
According to details, a new portal will be created to provide real-time information about the allocation, release, and progress of every Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project through a graphical interface.
All approved PC1s will be available and accessible on the portal, and the ministry has established a Champions of Reforms (COR) Network to seek input from citizens in reviewing and evaluating project proposals under PSDP. This unprecedented move will ensure greater returns on investment by making sure that the PSDP reflects the aspirations of the citizens.
Expert opinions gathered during the evaluation process will be included as a special section in the Executive Summary of PC1 that is presented at the CDWP, making all stakeholders accountable to the citizens of Pakistan and enhancing the transparency and effectiveness of PSDP. Both the ministry’s and independent experts’ opinions will be reflected in the PC1s and discussed in the CDWP meetings.
This digitization initiative is a major step towards making the PSDP allocations more accountable and accessible to the public, and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives is proud to lead the way in this effort.
With the digitisation of PSDP, the federal government aims to provide citizens with in-depth information on all PSDP-funded projects through a dedicated portal, including project locations, funding, releases, progress, and even satellite images and drone footage where available.
