LAHORE: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has announced the complete digitisation of the province’s environmental regulatory framework with the aim to strengthen transparency, ensure legal validity and to safeguard official records.

According to Environment Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh, environmental laboratory certifications, environmental approvals issued under Section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act, and environmental protection orders issued under Section 16 would now be processed and issued through the new e-FOAS digital platform. He further stated that environmental recommendations related to import licences would also be issued entirely through the same digital system, ending the practice of manual or paper-based processing.

DG says agency’s new e-FOAS digital platform aims to curb irregularities and improve governance

The DG said that EPA Punjab had implemented a paperless regulatory regime to curb irregularities and improve governance. Under the new system, every document issued through e-FOAS would carry a unique reference number and a QR code, enabling verification, traceability and authentication. The initiative, he added, would help prevent issuance of fake or unauthorised permits and reduce the scope for the misuse of authority.

The notification, in this regard, clarifies that any environmental approval, protection order or recommendation issued outside the digital system will be considered illegal and void. Such actions have been declared tantamount to abuse of authority, and disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against the concerned officer or signatory in case of any violation.

Mr Sheikh had directed all commissioners, deputy commissioners, industrial units, chambers of commerce and EPA-certified laboratories to ensure immediate compliance with the new instructions and to process all relevant matters strictly through the e-FOAS platform.

According to EPA Punjab, the notification has come into force with immediate effect and will remain applicable until further amendment or withdrawal. Officials believe that the shift to a fully digital regulatory system will not only strengthen environmental governance but also provide industries and other stakeholders with a more transparent, reliable and verifiable compliance mechanism.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2025