Overview
- The World Bank’s Board approved $70 million on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, to fund the Connected Punjab Programme as IDA financing for provincial digital transformation.
- The $70 million forms part of a $278 million package that includes $208 million in counterpart funding from the Punjab government.
- The programme sets clear targets through June 2031: connect 2.1 million more people to fixed broadband, deliver digital services to about 28.9 million residents, and raise women’s use of digital government services from 19% to 30%.
- To speed rollout and pull in private money, officials plan regulatory changes such as cutting average right-of-way permit times from 90 days to 21 days and aim to mobilize at least $50 million in private capital.
- The programme will finance government computing and payment systems to support AI-enabled services and a digital invoice management system, which could broaden access to services, formalize payments, and increase cashless users to 350,000 by 2031.