Digital quality vs expectations

LAHORE: Pakistan is ranked 97th out of 110 countries in the 2021 Digital Quality Index below India at 59 and China at 22, but above Bangladesh that ranked 103. In electronic infrastructure it is ranked 106, the lowest among four countries.

This was revealed in global research on the quality of a digital wellbeing in 110 countries (90 percent of the global population). This study conducted by Surfshark, indexes the countries by looking at five fundamental pillars that define the digital quality of life.

The five pillars include internet affordability, internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security and electronic government. The state of digital quality gives a glimpse of the ability of an economy to reduce the development gaps rapidly through use of technology.

Higher digital quality lowers the chances of corruption. It also ensures better governance and efficient bureaucracy.

Denmark is ranked number one country in digital quality. The other countries in the top ten include Republic of Korea, Finland, United States, Singapore, France, Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain.

Some countries moved ahead in some pillars in big way. For instance, the Philippines had the biggest jump in internet quality.

Sri Lanka had the biggest jump in time to work to afford the cheapest broadband internet, while Denmark has best digital quality of life.

The United Arab Emirates has the fastest mobile internet. Italy made the biggest jump in e-infrastructure.

Thailand made the highest leap in online services index. Bahrain increased its AI readiness index. Singapore has the fastest broadband internet, and Greece is best in cyber security.

A look at the four major regional players in South Asia reveals that in electronic infrastructure, Pakistan is at 106, India 91, Bangladesh 89 and China at 55. In internet affordability, Pakistan is ranked 66, India 47, Bangladesh 84 and China 7.

Pakistan’s rank in internet quality is 74, with India at 67, Bangladesh 89 and China ranked 7. As far as cyber security is concerned, Pakistan is ranked 98, India 36, Bangladesh 103 and China 72. On electronic government, Pakistan ranks 85, India 33, Bangladesh 86 and China 17.

Pakistan has not ranked at the top among these four countries in any of the five pillars. China was number one among these four in electronic infrastructure, internet affordability, internet quality and electronic government. India has the best cyber security mechanism in place in the region. Pakistan has a long way to go.

We particularly need to enhance our cyber security. Only a month back the FBR site was hacked and we frequently hear hackers attacking our business concerns and governments websites.

NADRA is sitting on a goldmine of data that should be jealously guarded. The weakness of our electronic structure should be a matter of concern for our communication regulators.

It impacts the smooth operations of state as well as private concerns. The penetration of e-commerce is linked to better electronic infrastructure.

Another matter worth noting is that we lag far behind India and China in e-government. No planned efforts have been made to get rid of bureaucratic red tape through e-government.

Few government departments have done some work on e-governance, but actual potential and benefits of e-governance cannot be achieved in isolation.

Every government department that is needed in performance of a function has to be fully integrated with each other. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry should be as prepared in electronic governance as is the FBR (it is only relatively better placed).

The relevant data of each consumer and power distributor should be available electronically to the FBR through the Water and Power Ministry.

In the same way the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources should synchronise its data of consumers and defaulters with the FBR. The credit bureaus should be strengthened to ensure that the credit profile of every citizen is available with banks and others on a 24/7 basis.

Electronic government cannot operate in a silo. It has to be fully integrated. The data of provinces should be readily available through technology to the federal government instead of seeking it on request.

We are painfully slow in updating records electronically. The land record in all the provinces has not been fully digitalised even after a decade.

With a little, but firm push in Punjab, it could be completed in a month or so. The other provinces are lagging far behind.

It would not be possible to eliminate frauds in land transfers if it is not done through digitalisation. The ghost doctors and ghost schools can only be eliminated through proper e-government.

It is high time that planners realise the deplorable position of the country on digital quality instead of celebrating award of small spectrums to the mobile operators at a hefty price.