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The World Bank has approved $70 million for the Connected Punjab Program to expand broadband access, improve digital public services, and accelerate cashless transactions across Punjab as part of Pakistan’s broader digital transformation agenda.
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $70 million in financing for the Connected Punjab Program, an initiative aimed at expanding broadband connectivity, improving digital public service delivery, and promoting cashless transactions across Punjab.
According to Business Recorder and the World Bank, the programme will complement Pakistan’s national digital transformation strategy by supporting broadband infrastructure, AI-enabled government services, and digital payment systems while encouraging greater private-sector investment.
The programme will work alongside the federal government’s Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), ensuring that national digital infrastructure investments translate into improved services for citizens and businesses across Punjab.
Highlighting the programme’s significance, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Bolormaa Amgaabazar said, “Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury, it is the infrastructure of opportunity.”
She added, “The federal government has laid out a bold vision for Pakistan’s digital future, and Connected Punjab is how that vision reaches the doorsteps of millions of people across the province.”
According to the World Bank, the programme will reduce regulatory and cost barriers that currently limit private investment in broadband infrastructure, particularly in underserved urban areas. By cutting average Right-of-Way permit processing times from 90 days to 21 days, the initiative aims to expand fixed broadband coverage from 7.8 million to 9.9 million people by June 2031, bringing approximately 2.1 million additional people online while facilitating at least $50 million in private digital infrastructure investment.
Another major objective is strengthening Punjab’s digital public infrastructure through investments in government computing systems capable of supporting AI-powered public services. The programme targets reaching 28.9 million people with enhanced digital government services by 2031.
Women’s digital inclusion also forms a central part of the initiative. The programme aims to increase the proportion of women using digital government services from 19% to 30% during the implementation period.
The project will further promote digital payments by establishing a Digital Invoice Management System and interoperable payment infrastructure designed to link payments, invoices, and government reporting. By June 2031, the programme seeks to enable 350,000 active users of cashless payment systems.
Commenting on the initiative, World Bank Senior Digital Specialist Shahbaz Khan said, “Connected Punjab is the provincial expression of that same ambition, complementing federal investments by expanding fiber connectivity through private sector facilitation, deploying locally relevant AI-enabled services, and building a digital payments ecosystem.”
He added that “Together, these investments form a coherent and mutually reinforcing digital transformation agenda for Pakistan.”
The $70 million financing from the International Development Association (IDA) forms part of a broader $278 million government investment programme, including $208 million in counterpart funding from the Government of Punjab.
