PHA shifts all official work online in paperless push

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jun, 2026) Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has expanded its use of the digital office

automation system, introduced by the Punjab government last summer to

include routine correspondence, Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad

announced here on Tuesday.

In a communique addressed to directorate heads, he said: “All files and cases

shall be initiated, processed, examined, and approved” through the E-Filing and

Office Automation System (e-FOAS) digital system.

The e-FOAS system was already active across the umbrella organisation

of district horticultural agencies, which use it for official business.

The letter was issued in response to the direction of the provincial chief secretary,

Zahid Akhtar Zaman, who stressed the need for eliminating paperwork and increase

administrative efficiency.

According to Raja Mansoor, the digital system would standardize transparency,

reduce delays, and accelerate the resolution of public grievances.

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The PHA has already digitized the process of outdoor commercial advertisements

to improve ease of doing business. 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.

Raja Mansoor had said at the time that digitization of services was a step toward

making PHA a more business-friendly organization as envisioned by the chief secretary.

“We want to remove every unnecessary hurdle that businesses face when seeking

approvals,” he added.