Offerings to go digital

Auqaf dept to monitor charity through online system

LAHORE:  

Under the supervision of the department of Auqaf and Religious Affairs, steps have been taken to setup digital cash boxes in shrines across Punjab.

This is seen as a step towards digitalising charity at shrines mosques. In this regard, a test run was conducted at the shrine of Data Sahib. The department officials confirmed that the installation of digital cash boxes will be completed this year.

Last year, Punjab’s Religious Affairs and Auqaf Department decided to set up a digital cash box in collaboration with a Chinese company to prevent theft and embezzlement of money at various shrines across Punjab, including Data Darbar.

Initially, the cash box will be installed at Data Darbar, Pir Makki, Bibi Pak Daman and Sain Mian Mir. A spokesman for the Auqaf department Assistant Director Asif Ijaz told The Express Tribune that special training was also being imparted to the caretakers and prayer leaders regarding the use of digital cash boxes.

The Punjab Information Technology Board (BITB) is providing support for the online monitoring of cash boxes and cash information systems. He further explained that this initiative would eliminate complaints about theft and misappropriation of charity funds at shrines.

The cameras attached to the digital cash box will record footage of the donor as well the amount placed in the cash box. He said the amount of cash inside the box will be updated online after the opening of the digital box.

Punjab Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Syed Saeedul Hassan said innovation was being brought in various fields of the department of Auqaf and Religious Affairs and modern technology would be used further.

Digital cash boxes are also part of the same project. In this regard, Hassan held important meetings with representatives of various companies and commercial banks in which he received technical feedback on digital cash machines.

He said he was talking to representatives of National Bank of Pakistan, The Bank of Punjab, United Bank, Allied Bank, Muslim Commercial Bank, Faisal Bank and Bank Alfalah. Commercial banks use ATM machines and have modern machines for cash counting.

Through the partnership with Huawei company of China, the Punjab government will integrate modern electronic computerised cash boxes at all the shrines across the province.

All gift boxes will be monitored by modern cameras and Wi-Fi internet connection. Monitoring and controlling of all the cash boxes will be done regularly from the master control room. All the cash boxes will be opened on the specified date and nominated members of the committee will be present on this occasion and officers of the bank will also be present there who will begin the process of counting the number of cash funds under their supervision.

This step is being taken to discourage corruption and fraudulent practices at shrines apart from monitoring the flow of money to keep checks and balance.

The spokesman said there are currently 545 shrines and 437 mosques in the province under the supervision of Auqaf and Religious Affairs department and digital cash boxes are only being installed at shrines.

Since the staff in mosques is less, only a few mosques will get digital cash boxes installed in the province in the second phase. There are many places where mosques and shrines are combined so there will be no need for separate digital cash boxes.

The annual revenue of the shrines organised by the department is Rs1.137 billion, which is regularly audited by the Local Fund Audit.

As per the data released by the authorities, the revenue of the eight major shrines in Punjab has witnessed an increase of 8% during the fiscal year 201819. The department expected that the digital cash box will generate more revenue.