Daily Times

The use of mapping systems known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has begun in Pakistan. However, the technology has not yet received state patronage and widespread usage thus its potential to boost the national economy has not been exploited fully. The use of GIS is exclusively limited to governance and supervisory functions, especially in the province of Punjab that comprises the majority of Pakistan’s population.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics website reveals that it makes widespread use of GIS in Pakistan. The Punjab Information Technology Board developed mobile applications for real time information on health and public hygiene activities through images of designated areas for surveillance. The data stream flowing through the mobile based software is real time. This GIS system has been operational in more than 25 government departments and across 36 districts as well as the federal capitol since 2012. An attempt has been made to propose that GIS enhances employment while being aware that digitisation results in minimising the role of the manual worker.

Pakistan’s economic performance remained stable during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, yet structural imbalances continue to loom in the shape of increasing fiscal and external imbalances. The fiscal deficit expanded to a record level during the last three years as revenue mobilisation faltered and expenditure ballooned at both the provincial and federal levels. Provincial revenue collection pursuant to the eighteenth constitutional amendment resulted in the provinces merely collecting those taxes hitherto collected by the federation and that too in a fixed tax regime.

Value added job creation is not occurring and the primary business activity appears to have become real estate development, something that does not offer much in terms of employment opportunities. Deterioration in the external account exacerbated the structural ongoing economic scenario attributable to a widening trade deficit and a decline in international remittances with no contingency plan in place when worldwide oil prices collapsed.

GIS is utilised worldwide and in Pakistan the sectors where GIS technology can be launched can be as diverse as precision farming for enhanced harvesting per acre through software and reducing input costs of fertiliser and equitable distribution of water for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Pakistani exports can surge through the adoption of GIS technology if crop plantation is diversified, but this is unlikely to happen when subsidies for sugar are part of agricultural policy. Other areas may be establishing and monitoring through GIS of Exclusive Economic Zones to ensure input and output match in terms of value addition declarations and transparency and safeguarding of Pakistan’s economic sovereign interests.

In the same vein we can project how to reduce real time shipping route shortcuts through the ports of Karachi and Gwadar to link with the major shipping container routes and lower costs of transportation of goods through the marine and rail route as well vis-à-vis strategic regional competition. Experience shows that the Afghan transit trade involved leakage by unscrupulous elements that can be prevented and the concern of the business community that transit of Chinese goods can wipe off many domestic industries can be tackled through real time GIS monitoring.

The entertainment aspect of GIS may be tuning one’s computer into air traffic control centre using Flight Radar 24 and security aspect for local law enforcement and traffic management, particularly where traffic signal don’t function due to electricity shortages, and drone technology thereby avoiding engaging a large number of traffic personnel in routine traffic management.

The business corporate sector has already identified supply and demand and under-served areas instead of hiring an army of marketing staff. Philanthropic organisations including the Akhuwat Micro Financing Programme and the informal sector in Pakistan have made limited usage of GIS technology in digital health and education but the same has not been replicated on the national scale. GIS cannot function in isolation, thus the benefits derived from its usage have been limited thus far.

Philanthropic organisations including the Akhuwat micro financing program and the informal sector in Pakistan have made limited usage of GIS technology in digital health and education but the same has not been replicated on the national scale. Thus the benefits derived from GIS are limited

There is a complex interplay of forces which can be described as turf warfare amongst the economic ministries where the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is driven by the immediate need for tax revenue and to aggravate the cash flow of the industrial sector the Ministry of Finance manipulates the fiscal deficit by delaying tax refunds. The Ministry of Commerce is obsessed with export growth led trade through the tool of Free Trade Agreements oblivious to the impact on imports, trade deficit, revenues streams, and industry in Pakistan and employment creation.

Substantial room for improvement exists in the development and application of GIS monitoring software to counter tax evasion in the major industrial sectors including sugar, textile, beverages and aerated water, tobacco and cement right from the factory gate to the distribution network.

These sectors comprise the wealthy tycoons but their contribution to federal taxes is negligible. An initial investment of $1,000,000 in GIS technology may rake in revenues worth one billion dollars and its upgrading will make the initiative sustainable while reducing the expenditure incurred on tax collection.

Net collection of GST domestic from the ten major revenue spinners as per the FBR’s yearbook is only $4,040 and the share of petroleum products, cement, aerated water and beverages, tobacco and cigarettes, sugar, fertilisers is Rs 269,764 million, 28,326,13,172, 23,767, 15,473, 11,480 respectively which is dismal in terms of a country with a GDP nearing $300 billion.

The situation on the direct taxes side collection is worse in terms of their contribution to the national exchequer. It is not feasible to expand manual checks through FBR personnel as logistical requirements involve substantial reoccurring expenditure and the human discretion would necessitate a supervisory mechanism to be put in place entailing more expenditure. The routine interface between the citizens and state functionaries would be minimised and the personnel of government organisations can be efficiently utilised instead of performing routine and mechanical functions.

The capacity of the public sector would need to be indigenously strengthened to implement GIS.

As we see the realm of possibilities is manifold and GIS is a digital tool to enhance efficiency and subsequently to reduce costs by employing traditional tools. Is Pakistan geared towards adopting GIS technology in the basic sectors and does the public sector have the capacity and human and financial resources to operate GIS systems in a sustainable manner?

We have no dearth of experts whether self professed or acclaimed and at present apart from rudimentary software applications in the public sector and deficient websites, which in many cases are oriented as public relations exercises instead of substantive knowledge based portals for the public. One notable exception is oil and gas exploration but the same has taken a backseat as without exploring Pakistan’s sedimentary basin, the import of LNG worth $1.2 billion has taken place in one year alone.

The practical contribution of GIS technology is appealing in the areas of health, exclusive economic zones, national and international strategic maritime and rail corridor, factory outlets to distribution hubs, equitable water distribution in the agricultural areas. The federal government may provide the seed money to launch nationwide projects of GIS.

The time is opportune to blend in the development of maritime and rail route economics with effective usage of GIS technology. Research is needed to further the objectives of direct and indirect linkages of GIS and employment generation. Caution should be exercised that the enthusiasm for GIS be realistic in terms of pace of development, technology and ambitions on a need based basis.

The writer has done his Bachelor of Science in Business and Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is currently involved in research in the areas of finance and energy. Nadir Mumtaz has reviewed the article

Published in Daily Times, February 7^th 2018.