In a major step towards promoting e-governance and facilitating business activity in the province, the Punjab government has launched the eBIZ portal to simplify and streamline the process of obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs) and permits from government departments.
The portal was officially inaugurated by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman during a meeting of the Administrative Secretaries’ Committee at Civil Secretariat here on Monday.
Initially, the portal will allow entrepreneurs and business owners to apply online for NOCs related to 30 different business types. The entire verification and approval process will be digitally managed, eliminating the need for any physical file submission or paperwork at any stage.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Secretary stated that with the launch of the eBIZ portal, business owners would no longer have to make frequent visits to government offices to obtain NOCs. He further directed the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to ensure that by December, all services provided by government departments, attached bodies, commissioners, and deputy commissioners and other offices should be fully digitized.
Highlighting the importance of administrative reforms, the Chief Secretary said: “The Punjab government is using IT to bring ease to people’s lives. Reforms are essential to improve departmental performance and service delivery.”
The Chief Secretary added that the e-Filing and Office Automation System (e-FOAS) and e-Procurement are already being successfully implemented, which have introduced innovation and transparency through paperless working.
During the meeting, the Chairman PITB briefed the participants on various ongoing e-governance initiatives in the province. He mentioned that annual confidential reports (ACRs), leave applications, and transfer orders of government employees have been integrated into the e-FOAS system. Additionally, efforts are underway to make departmental websites more functional to improve public access to information and services.
The meeting was attended by the additional chief secretary, chairman planning and development board, and all administrative secretaries while the additional chief secretary (South Punjab), all divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners joined the meeting via video link.