Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16: Reducing Corruption in Pakistan through Digital Governance—Lessons from Estonia

Abstract

In Pakistan, corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to effective governance and sustainable development as it weakens the confidence of the masses, economic development, and institutional capacities. The anti-corruption strategies are an important policy goal since Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) highlights the need to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions. This paper analyzes how digital governance can help curb corruption in Pakistan by comparing and contrasting its lessons with Estonia, which is generally regarded as a global e-governance leader. The research approach is qualitative comparative; the researcher examines secondary data in the form of international reports and peer-reviewed literature, as well as national institutional data. The results have shown that digital governance can play quite a significant role in reducing corruption since it lowers the levels of bureaucratic discretion, increases transparency, and makes it possible to trace the administration of the government in general. The success of Estonia demonstrates the ability of systemic corruption reduction to be achieved through the extensive integration of the institution, in the form of interoperable databases, systems of secure digital identities and automatic service provision. In contrast, efforts by Pakistan, such as the biometric identity system of NADRA, and the Federal Board of Revenue digital tax reforms, show that the country is making progress in service delivery but is limited by disjointed systems, poor institutional coordination and interoperability. The analysis finds that digital governance can only be successful when embedded in the strong institutional structures that reiterate that technology is ineffective in achieving systemic change. Recommendations emphasize that to realize SDG 16 in Pakistan there is a need to incorporate digital tools with institutional restructuring, coherence in policy, and building capacity among the administration.