Govt accelerates drive for digital payments, financial inclusion

December 18, 2025 (MLN):   Government of Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate Pakistan’s transition towards a cashless and digitally enabled economy, with a focus on expanding financial inclusion, strengthened digital payments, and improving access to formal financial services for individuals and small businesses across the country.

A meeting at the Finance Division reviewed progress on the national digitization agenda, included development of digital infrastructure, payment systems and rails, and digitization of government-related payments, said a press release issued.

The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and attended by Mr. Douglas Feagin, President Ant International and Senior Vice President Ant Group; Mr. Irfan Wahab Khan, Chairman Easypaisa Digital Bank; and Mr. Jahabzeb Khan, President and Chief Executive Officer Easypaisa Digital Bank.

Senator Aurangzeb said digital banks and fintech platforms can play a critical role in enabling inclusive credit and targeted lending, particularly for underserved segments such as small farmers, further stressing that scalable digital platforms are essential to broaden agriculture lending and improve sustainability of financial access initiatives.

He also highlighted the importance of diversifying the investor base for domestic public debt and reducing distribution costs by enabling retail participation through digital platforms, which will allow citizens to invest in government securities through accessible and secure channels.

The delegation expressed support for Pakistan’s digital economy agenda and noted that expansion of digital payments and financial services can help document economic activity, broaden the tax base, and improve efficiency.

They emphasized scaling QR-code merchant acceptance, enhancing cross-border and wallet-based payments, and strengthening customer education.

Mr. Irfan Wahab Khan shared that Easypaisa is progressively transitioning from payments to broader financial services, with a focus on financial inclusion, customer education, and the development of savings and wealth management offerings.

Discussions also covered cross-border and wallet-based payments, regulation of virtual assets to ensure consumer protection and compliance, and opportunities in tokenization to support capital market development.

Senator Aurangzeb briefed the delegation on macroeconomic stabilization progress and reform priorities, including tax base expansion, energy sector reforms, SOEs, and privatization, emphasizing the need to translate stability into investment-led growth.

Mr. Douglas Feagin shared that expanding digital payments and digital finance can support stronger documentation of economic activity and contribute to tax base expansion, based on observed outcomes in multiple international markets.

He reiterated Easypaisa’s and Ant International’s commitment to scaling QR-code merchant acceptance and driving consumer adoption through practical use cases, while highlighting operational considerations linked to biometric-based customer onboarding, compliance requirements, and the cost of authentication and verification processes.

Both sides agreed to continue coordination on merchant digitization, customer education, QR-code acceptance, and access to regulated savings and investment products, with the minister inviting concrete proposals to advance the government’s digitization agenda.

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