PHA shifts all official work online in paperless push

LAHORE, Jun 02 (APP): Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has expanded its use of the digital office automation system, introduced by the Punjab government last summer to include routine correspondence, Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad announced here on Tuesday.

In a communique addressed to directorate heads, he said: “All files and cases shall be initiated, processed, examined, and approved” through the E-Filing and Office Automation System (e-FOAS) digital system.

The e-FOAS system was already active across the umbrella organisation of district horticultural agencies, which use it for official business.

The letter was issued in response to the direction of the provincial chief secretary, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, who stressed the need for eliminating paperwork and increase administrative efficiency.

According to Raja Mansoor, the digital system would standardize transparency, reduce delays, and accelerate the resolution of public grievances.

The PHA has already digitized the process of outdoor commercial advertisements to improve ease of doing business. In the first phase, applications related to three services — registration of firms, no-objection certificates (NOCs) for commercial installations such as billboards, and temporary campaign permissions — have been moved to e-Biz, an online portal.

Through e-Biz, the PHA’s marketing wing has introduced a single-window system allowing firms to apply, submit documents, and pay fees through one streamlined platform.

Raja Mansoor had said at the time that digitization of services was a step toward making PHA a more business-friendly organization as envisioned by the chief secretary.

“We want to remove every unnecessary hurdle that businesses face when seeking approvals,” he added.