LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) is in the process of digitising revenue generation and has marked the marketing and coordination wings for this process, Director General Muhammad Tahir Wattoo disclosed.
The two wings — responsible for regulating outdoor advertisements and food courts, as well as amusement items under PHA jurisdiction — account for the majority of the department’s revenue.
According to Mr. Wattoo, the PHA is working with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to transform the department into a digital, technology-driven organisation that also uses big data, in phases.
In the first phase, the regularisation of commercial billboards will be computerised. Digital streamers, LED advertisement screens, and shop boards will follow in the second phase, he added.
The existing database will be published on secure servers and will be available to both the advertisers and the department.
Envisioned by Mr. Wattoo, the move aims to allow advertisers to avoid coming to the offices or waiting for action on their applications while also ensuring fiscal transparency. The new system sets time limits for officials to dispose of the applications, he added.
“The monitoring system will also help with the performance accountability of officials and improve the ease of doing business,” the director general noted.
Separately, the PHA plans to lease a dozen underpasses on Canal Road, Gulberg, and Ferozepur Road for advertisements, collectively valued at Rs860 million.
The project expects a strong outcome from these digital and administrative reforms, aiming to enhance revenue collection to Rs3 billion by the financial year 2024-25, up from Rs2.35 billion in the financial year 2023-24.
On the horticulture front, new seasonal flowers planted by the PHA are now in full bloom. Zinnias, Cosmos, and other varieties adorn the roads of Lahore with intricate floral displays.
