Pakistan’s digital lag: lessons from Singapore and India

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LAHORE: Artificial intelligence is one of the most cost -effective tools to improve governance and change the economy, but it requires a strong political and public service leadership, commitment to institutional education and a strategic approach for public private cooperation.

Singapore is considered a success in taking advantage of technology technology for widespread economic change. The determined leadership of the Singapore government has played an important role in forming the country’s digital strategy, ensuring alignment between various agencies and stakeholders of the private sector. On the contrary, Pakistan is far behind because of weak political determination, differences of governance and bureaucratic incompetence. Unlike Singapore’s central and permanent leadership in digital transformation, Pakistan’s efforts are scattered, which is repeatedly changing policy and lack of long -term vision. Further obstacles have maintained progress in e -governance.

Singapore has permanently adapted its policies and systems based on past experiences, which has promoted close cooperation between the government and the private sector for innovation. It has created a global digital infrastructure, ensuring widespread communication and access to advanced technologies. In Pakistan, policies often react rather than active, which contain limited mechanisms for permanent institutional education. Although the private sector is active in digital services such as fantasy and telecom, cooperation with the government is contradictory.

Singapore’s planners made preliminary efforts to enhance digital skills in the population, making sure that individuals and businesses can effectively benefit new technologies. Strong rules and regulations around cyberciction, data protection and digital governance have promoted confidence and stability in the country’s digital ecosystem. The Singapore government sets clear goals, tracks performance, and ensures accountability in its digital change measures.

Although the penetration of mobile in Pakistan is high, especially in rural areas access to broadband is poor. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) have digitized some services, but lack of smooth, integrated e -governance model. An important part of the population lacks digital literacy, which has limited the effectiveness of e -governance measures. Although there are steps like the ‘Digital Pakistan’ campaign, they are facing challenges for implementation. Pakistan also lacks strong data protection laws compared to the Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), and causes the risk of cybersology and digital fraud concerns due to weak implementation methods.

Singapore’s tax system is a good example of its effective use of technology. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) uses pre -filled tax declarations based on the financial data available, which reduces the burden on taxpayers. Individuals usually receive their final tax evaluation and only need to be verified, making the tax compliance extremely effective. In combination with severe implementation, high levels of trust in institutions mean that taxpayers rarely challenge these studies. Singapore’s success shows how a country can use technology to enhance governance, improve economic performance and create a global digital economy globally.

On the contrary, while the FBR of Pakistan has introduced online tax filing, compliance with the weak tax culture and confidence in the tax system is less. Unlike Singapore, where tax evaluation is automatically and widely accepted, Pakistan’s tax system relies heavily on manual process and is corruption.

In South Asian countries, India is closest to Singapore in terms of digital change, though it has to travel a long way. Its powers include Aadhaar, the National Digital ID system, which covers more than one billion people and enables digital payments, direct benefits transfer and tax filing. Its united payment interface (UPI) is a global real -time digital payment system. The goods and services tax (GST) system has improved tax compliance, and tax e -filing is widely. India is also a global IT powerhouse, which innovate in e -governance and digital services.

However, India faces challenges such as bureaucratic incompetence, corruption, and a wide, diverse population that makes it difficult to adopt uniform digital. Its cybercularity and data privacy laws are still being developed. Unlike Singapore, where digital governance is smooth, India faces the challenges of harmony between the central and state governments.

Pakistan can learn by adopting a long -term, central digital strategy from both Singapore and India, improving public private cooperation and investing in digital literacy and cyberself. Without decisive reforms, the country is at risk of furthering the global digital economy.