Govt to abolish NITB under IT

Islamabad: The IT Ministry started implementing the recommendations of the Rightsizing Committee of the federal government.

According to the document, it has been decided to abolish the National Information Technology Board (NITB), a subsidiary of the IT Ministry. On the recommendations of the Rightsizing Committee, the NITB will be abolished, and the purchase of IT equipment and software will be carried out individually through the procuring agency.

The document stated that 17 posts have been abolished in the Ministry of IT and Telecom, seven posts have been declared as dying cadres and no new recruitment will be made to these posts after 2026. By abolishing these posts, a saving of about Rs25 million will be ensured annually.

According to the Right Sizing Committee document, the structure of the National Telecommunication Corporation has been reduced by 50 percent, ignite will be retained and a third-party review will be conducted. A report will be submitted to the Prime Minister in three months after reviewing the performance of PSEB, and the overlap between PSEB and TDAP will also be reviewed.

The document added that the ministry has hired a consultant on the issue of Ignite, PSEB, and NTC. The draft bill related to the Pakistan Digital Authority will be finalized in a week after consultation with stakeholders.

The draft bill will be finalized and presented to the National Assembly for approval, while the Virtual University has been brought under the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training.