KPITB Performance Deemed Unsatisfactory in Auditor General’s Report

The Auditor General’s assessment for the fiscal year 2021-22 has cast a shadow on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board (KPITB), citing disappointing outcomes in the digitization of governmental operations.

The audit indicates that the IT Board successfully digitized only a limited number of departments—specifically 10, including Higher Education and Local Government—within the established deadlines. This was despite the allocation of over Rs40 million in subsidies intended for IT enterprises. Furthermore, the report emphasized the board’s inability to meet its objectives concerning the establishment of IT parks.

In Peshawar’s IT Park, the number of registered companies experienced a decline from 57 in 2015 to 26 by 2021. A similar trend was observed in Abbottabad’s IT Park, where the count of 16 companies registered in 2015 remained stagnant through 2021. The report brought attention to the decrease in company revenues, which fell from Rs570 million in 2017 to Rs289 million by 2021.

The report further noted that a projected annual growth rate of 35% in the number of companies was thwarted by inadequate management engagement. Additionally, the board did not meet its annual target of a 25% increase in IT exports.

The audit also pointed out that the IT Board’s failure to create an app for prompt payments and recoveries resulted in financial setbacks for both institutions and the public treasury. Adding to this, training contracts intended for tribal youth were awarded to a company under the ownership of the board’s former managing director. Irregular recruitment practices involving directors and deputy directors led to losses amounting to Rs90 million.

To address these shortcomings, the report has put forward a recommendation for the digitization of all government departments, aimed at fostering transparency and expediting decision-making processes. The government has been urged to conduct rigorous merit-based reviews of appointments within the IT Board. Furthermore, a joint investigation has been recommended to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the board’s ineffectiveness.