Islamabad (TDI): As the world strives to achieve a higher and improved level of digitisation, Pakistan’s government is set to table a new bill aiming to create a digital identity for every individual.
Senior government officials have revealed that the Digital Nation Pakistan Act will be presented in the National Assembly on Monday as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s national digital agenda spanning economy, governance and society, according to The News.
The prospective law provides seamless access to critical services ranging from health records to birth certificates.
The plan involves setting up two key bodies: a National Digital Commission, which will be chaired by the prime minister and includes all 4 chief ministers, heads of major data-rich organisations like the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). the State Bank, and a Pakistan Digital Authority which would be led by top industry experts.
Together, the commission and authority will devise a masterplan to serve as a blueprint for national digitisation.
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Sector-specific digitisation masterplans will also be devised, shared with relevant ministries, and made public to engage the private sector, which is likely to lead and benefit most from the digitisation agenda.
The primary objective of the law was enabling “cradle to grave” solutions via a digital identity for every individual.
This would mean having access to birth certificates, health records, land records, assets, educational records, businesses, police certifications and identity cards via digital wallets which would eliminate long queues for services like passport applications and degree attestation.
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On the economic front, the measure aims to create a cashless economy through digital wallet payments.
Citizens will develop digital financial histories, making it easier to access bank loans and receive government incentives.
