PHA digitises outdoor advertisement approvals

In first phase, applications related to three services — registration of firms, no-objection certificates (NOCs) for commercial installations such as billboards, and temporary campaign permissions — have been moved to e-Biz, an online portal

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 26^th, 2026) In a bid to improve ease of doing business, the Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has fully digitised the process of outdoor commercial advertisements, a spokesperson said Thursday.

In the first phase, applications related to three services — registration of firms, no-objection certificates (NOCs) for commercial installations such as billboards, and temporary campaign permissions — have been moved to e-Biz, an online portal.

Through e-Biz, the PHA’s marketing wing has introduced a single-window system allowing firms to apply, submit documents, and pay fees through one streamlined platform. The system automatically routes applications to relevant officials and provides real-time tracking and updates to ensure transparency.

The initiative eliminates the need for physical visits, reduces processing time and costs, and aims to attract investment through a more efficient and predictable approval process.

A meeting of the managing directors of all 21 district horticultural agencies was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Additional Director General Mirza Waleed Baig. The participants were informed that, in the first phase, marketing-related services have been launched for the older district agencies, including Lahore, while services for the newly established agencies will be digitised within the next few days.

The newly established agencies have become operational in Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Khushab, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Okara, Gujrat, Jhelum, Murree, Khanewal, and Muzaffargarh.

In the next phase, additional services—such as horticulture NOCs for housing societies, the adopt-a-park scheme, and road access permits—will also be brought onto the digital platform, the meeting was told.

The meeting also discussed impediments to the complete digitisation of services offered by the provincial body. A representative of the Punjab Information Technology board (PITB) also attended.

Commenting on the development, Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad said the digitisation of services was a step toward making PHA a more business-friendly organisation as envisioned by the chief secretary. "We want to remove every unnecessary hurdle that businesses face when seeking approvals," he said. "This portal ensures that applicants no longer have to make repeated visits to our offices.”

He added that transparency was a key goal of the initiative. "With real-time tracking, both the applicant and the authority can monitor the status of an application at every stage," he said. "This reduces the chances of delays and removes room for discretion."

Speaking about the next phase, Mr Baig said the authority was committed to bringing all its services online within a defined timeline. "Our teams are working closely with PITB to identify and resolve any technical or administrative bottlenecks," he said. "The goal is a fully paperless system across all 21 district agencies."