Key Takeaways
- World Bank’s USD70 million Connected Punjab Programme faces delays due to un-signed agreements.
- Key preparatory measures, including financing and implementation entity agreements, remain pending.
- Programme aims to increase broadband access and introduce cashless transactions in Punjab.
The World Bank’s USD70 million Connected Punjab Programme, aimed at expanding broadband access and introducing AI-enabled public services and cashless transactions in the province, has faced significant delays. According to the Bank’s document, the programme has secured approval from the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) for improving broadband connectivity and digital service delivery.
However, several critical preparatory measures remain unfulfilled, with the financing agreement (FA) and implementation entity agreement (IEA) yet to be signed. Additionally, approval of the PC-I for cashless transactions and the investment project financing (IPF) component remain a priority.
The programme, approved on June 30, 2026, is scheduled to close on June 30, 2031. The Bank has rated progress towards the programme’s development objectives and overall implementation progress as “moderately satisfactory,” with the overall risk rating assessed as moderate.
Under the broadband component, the programme aims to increase the population covered by fixed broadband internet from 7.8 million in April 2026 to 9.9 million by July 2031. It also seeks to identify 82 target urbanised areas for broadband coverage and enable USD50 million in private capital.
The digital service delivery component faces a substantial institutional agenda. The government is required to establish an AI Oversight Committee with citizen representation by June 2027, develop a programme manual governing AI use cases, and adopt a provincial AI-for-service-delivery roadmap by December 2027.
A data governance framework is due by December 2027, while a personal data protection strategy and cybersecurity strategy are scheduled for approval and notification by June 2028. The programme targets 28 AI-enabled services by June 2031, with 100 percent of public and private sector participants using compute-as-a-service for localised AI development.
Under the cashless transactions component, the province aims to bring 350,000 people onto cashless payments by June 2031, including 105,000 women and 157,500 young people. The targets also include establishing a regulatory framework for point-of-sale (PoS) service providers, operationalising a digital invoice management system, and expanding integrated digital PoS payment platforms to 35 business sectors.
The report identified the critical need for the government to establish procedures for reimbursement or waiver of right-of-way (RoW) and reinstatement fees by January 31, 2027, and enable Punjab’s e-Biz portal to process RoW applications, including reimbursement criteria and grievance redressal, by December 2027.
