ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has established the Power Sector Data Governance Council (PSDGC), the country’s first formal data governance institution in the public sector, with the aim of creating a unified, reliable and secure data ecosystem across the power sector.
The initiative, announced by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), represents a significant shift in how government institutions manage and utilise data.In a statement issued by the Power Division on Thursday, officials say the reform is intended to strengthen transparency, improve planning and decision-making, attract international investment, and lay the foundation for a more digitally integrated public sector.
The Pakistan Digital Authority has also been incorporated into the framework to ensure alignment with national digital governance standards.Officials acknowledge that the absence of common data standards, weak quality controls, limited metadata practices, inadequate security protocols, and the lack of a centralised repository contributed to the creation of data silos and duplication across institutions. These shortcomings often complicated decision-making and reduced confidence in sector-wide information.
According to the Ministry, the framework has been designed in accordance with the internationally recognised Data Management Body of Knowledge (DAMA-DMBOK).The centralized platform is expected to improve the accuracy of electricity demand forecasting, facilitate more targeted infrastructure investments, strengthen risk management, and support better allocation of financial and operational resources.
Beyond operational improvements, the government is positioning the initiative as a major investment-enabling reform. Officials believe that the lack of a unified and credible data environment has been an underappreciated obstacle to attracting long-term capital into Pakistan's energy sector.
Under the new framework, investors are expected to gain access to validated, comparable, and audit-ready information from a single official source. Policymakers argue that this will reduce due diligence risks, improve transparency, shorten investment timelines, and strengthen Pakistan’s credibility as a destination for energy-sector investment.
