ISLAMABAD: The Min­i­stry of Planning Deve­lop­ment has decided to establish governance innovation lab (GIL) that will aim to deliver good and transparent governance through civic engagement.

The announcement was made on Wednesday during a meeting organised by the Planning Commission and attended by experts from various fields, who shared their ideas for implementing the initiative.

“Key objectives of GIL will be transparent, inclusive and responsive government,” said Minster for Planning Ahsan Iqbal while emphasising on the people’s participation in ensuring good governance.

“We are facing a serious resource crunch and, therefore, efficiency of investment holds paramount importance,” he said. “We need to ensure innovative solutions for governance and to maximise efficiency,” he said and urged stakeholders to create a window to report misappropriation related to development projects.

He also underscored the need for political stability in the country to finish long-term plans spanning over 10 years.

“Without political stability, we can’t achieve desired results and, therefore, the continuity of policies is the key driver,” said the minister.

The participants highlighted the importance of e-governance and accessibility of data to fill the gap between the state and the masses. Similarly, Pakistan Innovation Fund is also being set up to facilitate start-ups.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2022