Shah touts gains in transparency and efficiency with Rs 12.8 billion collection, paperless system and upcoming ‘Sindh Pay’
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah addresses a press conference on Wednesday. Photo: NNI
KARACHI:
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said technology-driven reforms were key to establishing a transparent, efficient and citizen-centric governance system, as he presided over a ceremony to mark the expansion of the e-stamping system in the province.
The event, held at the Chief Minister’s House, witnessed the signing of a Master Service Level Agreement and Service Order between the Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR) and the Sindh Information Technology Company (SITC) to ensure continuity and scale-up of the e-stamping platform.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the initiative was part of a broader strategy to modernize governance in Sindh through digital transformation, aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and public access to government services.
He revealed that just five months after SITC took over the system, over 730,000 challans had been processed, while Rs 12.8 billion had been collected seamlessly through the e-stamping platform.
CM Shah said the reform was not limited to revenue generation but also targeted long-standing irregularities in the documentation system. “The electronic stamping system helps eliminate the fake stamp paper mafia, fight backdated documents and save citizens from queuing in front of government offices,” he added.
He announced that the next phase of the initiative would introduce a completely paperless system, allowing citizens to generate stamp documents online via mobile devices and computers. “This is not just a technological upgrade but a step towards restoring public trust in government institutions,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of digital governance in a province like Sindh, he noted that its large population and economic activity required modern administrative tools for effective management. He added that SITC was established as an institutional engine to accelerate digital transformation in ministries.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the recently approved Government-to-Government (G2G) framework, under which departments can engage directly with SITC through Service Level Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding, thereby eliminating lengthy procurement procedures and expediting project implementation.
He said the simplified framework would enable departments to address technical challenges more effectively and significantly accelerate the pace of digital reforms.
CM Shah further announced upcoming initiatives including the launch of ‘Sindh Pay’, a unified digital payment platform that will enable citizens to pay taxes, fees and other government dues via mobile devices. He added that a provincial data center was also being established to ensure that sensitive government and citizen data remained securely stored in the country.
He said the government was also exploring the responsible use of artificial intelligence to provide round-the-clock digital assistance to citizens in English, Sindhi and Urdu.
