KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to establish an e-networking mechanism to coordinate all landholding departments and agencies to ensure easy verification of land records for the convenience of investors, officials said on Saturday.

They said that a decision to this effect was taken in a follow-up meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a delegation of the World Bank Group led by its vice president for equitable growth, finance and institutions (EFI) Ceyla Pazarbasioglu here at the CM House.

Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, planning and development chairperson Naheed Shah and other officials representing finance and investment in the Sindh government attended the meeting.

Ms Pazarbasioglu and her team suggested the provincial government to create greater convenience and ease for investors to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) for launching their business.

A delegation of World Bank Group asks the CM to simplify the process of NOCs for new businesses

The investors should not go from one department to another for obtaining NOCs, as they should only apply to the investment department for launching a business for which the department itself would arrange clearance from the relevant departments and agencies to issue NOCs.

CM Shah said the delays in issuance of NOCs were due to multiple landholding departments and agencies. He directed the investment department to develop an e-networking system connecting all landholding agencies so that the investment ministry could issue them NOCs.

The chief minister also asked the chief secretary to make reforms at sub-registrar level so that registration, transfer and mutation issues of properties could be digitised and resolved within a day.

The World Bank delegation appreciated Mr Shah for his personal interest in creating ease of doing business in Sindh.

The meeting was informed that a portal launched by the Sindh government at the Sindh Building Control Authority had produced good results but the provincial government still had to expand its network further.

The World Bank officials assured the Sindh government of providing technical assistance in developing the network.

The meeting appreciated the Sindh Revenue Board’s performance in tax collection. The participants said that the board proved itself as an efficient and business-friendly tax-collecting agency.

The meeting also appreciated the provincial government’s move to develop an efficient social protection system as promised by the Pakistan Peoples Party in its election manifesto. Under the manifesto women empowerment had been ensured by advancing small loans for launching cottage industries, poverty alleviation programmes, food security, health programmes, etc.

The chief minister thanked the World Bank Group for supporting his government in water sector projects, including rehabilitation of Sukkur and Guddu barrages for improvement of rural economy and support for the Karachi water board reforms programme.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2019