WEBDESK: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has said that digital transactions are essential for bringing transparency to the country’s economy.
Chairing a meeting on Thursday about the cashless and digital economy, he stressed that it is now a pressing need to make payments easier between citizens and businesses. He also underlined the importance of raising awareness about the use of digital transactions in daily life.
The Prime Minister directed that the committees working on a cashless economy must cooperate with all relevant departments and stakeholders. He asked them to prepare practical, workable plans to expand digital transactions in Pakistan.
During the meeting, it was shared that the State Bank of Pakistan is working on a strategy to improve digital payment methods for traders. The aim is to promote the use of digital transactions across businesses, big and small.
A special package is also being planned to encourage small businesses to adopt this method. The target is to increase the number of mobile app users for digital payments from 95 million to 120 million and boost the overall volume of digital payments from 7.5 billion rupees to 12 billion rupees.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed that these targets should be doubled to speed up Pakistan’s shift towards digital transactions.
The meeting was also told that free WiFi internet services are being planned across Islamabad, especially in hospitals, schools, government offices, parks, and metro bus stations.
To reduce cash use and promote digital payments, the federal government was planning to introduce separate tax and transaction rates for cash and digital payments in the 2025-26 budget. This include fuel purchases, where paying with cash could cost more than using a card or mobile app.
