LAHORE:In a bid to improve ease of doing business, the Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has fully digitised the process of outdoor commercial advertisements, a PHA spokesperson said on 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 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.
