ISLAMABAD – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for implementation of the e-Abiyana system in Punjab and gradually expanding it to other provinces in order to increase revenue generation.
The Ministry of Water Resources said this move could generate revenue of Rs300 to 325 billion from all four provinces. The income generated from “Abiyana” can be used to improve the irrigation system and for future national water projects like dam construction.
The IMF has emphasised the e-Abiyana in its recently released report after completing its first review of loan programme for Pakistan.
The global lender stated that the implementation of the “e-Abiyana” system can make water management more effective and robust.
On the other hand, the federal government has already started working, in consultation with provincial governments, on the process of determining the price of water.
A task force had recommended in 2012 that pumping groundwater costs between $25–80, which should be the annual per-acre price of water at the surface level.
If the government starts charging farmers at least $25 (Rs 7,000) per acre annually for water, it can collect Rs325 billion each year.
