Government focuses on affordable digital transactions

June 23, 2025 (MLN): In a significant move to advance the country’s transition toward a cashless economy, the government has directed efforts to make digital transactions more affordable and accessible for the public.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad, where these initiatives were discussed and guided.

The meeting emphasized the formation of three specialized committees tasked with enhancing the digital payments landscape: the Digital Payments Innovation and Adoption Committee, the Digital Public Infrastructure Committee, and the Government Payments Committee.

These committees are expected to develop recommendations to streamline payment processes between consumers, businesses, and government entities, raise awareness about digital payment systems, activate the Pakistan Digital Authority, and formulate a comprehensive national digital master plan.

A key focus of the meeting was the establishment of the Raast Digital Payment System at both federal and provincial levels to bolster transparency in economic transactions.

The government has mandated making all transactions between the public and private sectors cashless to further promote transparency and efficiency, according to the press release issued today.

Presentations during the meeting highlighted the progress made so far, revealing that 40 million users currently benefit from the Raast system, with ongoing efforts to expand this user base.

Additionally, all federal government financial transactions are being processed through Raast, and its implementation is underway in various provinces.

An update on the Smart Islamabad Pilot Project was also shared, detailing the Ministry of Information Technology’s initiative to transform Islamabad into Pakistan’s first cashless city.

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