Senate body for making NITB an autonomous body

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP):The Senate body on Delegated Legislation Thursday proposed to give the National Information Technology Board (NITB) an autonomous status to ensure its more vibrant role by making it a corporation. It was a need of the hour to introduce paperless culture in every organization by establishing e-governance system to make them more efficient and dynamic institutions, said Convener of the Sub-committee on Delegated Legislation Senator Robina Khalid.
The Committee was briefed by the NITB’s Executive Director (ED) Nasir Naqvi that the department should be empowered for requisite legislation to enable it to make its own rules and regulations for its smooth functioning.
The department was lacking appropriate legal framework which was undermining the board’s efficiency, the ED said “We cannot perform in given scenario,” he remarked.
The meeting was also apprised that the case for formulation of Recruitment Rules was still in process which was submitted before establishment division in 2015.
Commenting on crucial role of the NITB in modern era, Senator Kalsoom Parveen said “It seems that the department is currently grappling with competency issue as the same time in the same country an online taxi service is managing its online affairs very well.”
The committee sought assistance from Senate Adviser Justice (Retd) Muhammad Raza Khan suggested for making it an independent statutory body either through Parliament or forward a proposal by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) to the committee for a corporate body, he added.
When the Ministry tried to shift all blame on the previous government, the Chairman said “Let’s bygone be bygone and move forward for the betterment of country. She pointed out that e-governance, for which NITB was established, was a big hurdle behind the scene as they did not want paperless culture in the country organizations’ offices, urging the media to highlight this point. They also decided to call establishment division in the committee’s next meeting.
The committee also deliberated on the required legislation that affecting their performance and directed the Ministry of National Health and Services, Regulations and Coordination and DRAP to tighten the noose around the companies which were involved in sale of sub-standard and spurious medicines.
The meeting was also attended by Senator Kalsoom Parveen, Senate Adviser Justice ® Muhammad Raza Khan, senior officials of MoIT, NITB and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
It is worth mentioning here that the NITB was established in 2014 by merging Electronic Government Directorate and Pakistan Computer Bureau.