ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has admitted that it did not consult the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) under the $77.73 million Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP). Responding to a question in the National Assembly, the Ministry stated that under the World Bank-financed Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), the MoITT is actively developing a comprehensive framework for Digital Government Enterprise Architecture, interoperability standards, and related quality benchmarks to guide the design and delivery of digital public services across Pakistan. Currently, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has not been formally involved. According to the Ministry, this is because PSQCA’s primary mandate focuses on the standardization of physical goods, products, and processes, whereas DEEP efforts are centered on digital government frameworks, enterprise architecture, and technology-driven service standards, which require specialized initial development. However, the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication emphasized that it fully recognizes the importance of national-level standardization and quality assurance and plans to engage PSQCA at a later stage of the project.