SBP scales up Eidul Adha “Go Cashless” drive, expands coverage to 96 cattle markets

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday launched an expanded nationwide “Go Cashless” campaign for Eidul Adha 2026, intensifying efforts to shift cattle market transactions from cash to digital payment systems across the country.

The campaign is part of the central bank’s broader strategy to reduce cash dependency and accelerate the digitisation of Pakistan’s payments landscape, particularly in high-volume seasonal trading environments.

Cattle markets across the country typically witness heavy commercial activity during Eidul Adha, with transactions largely conducted in cash. The SBP said it has been leveraging this seasonal surge in recent years to promote digital payment adoption and strengthen financial inclusion.

This year’s initiative has been significantly scaled up, with coverage expanded to 96 cattle markets nationwide compared to 54 markets last year.

Under the programme, 22 commercial banks will set up dedicated facilitation camps and kiosks at designated cattle markets to enable digital payments for buyers, sellers and traders.

Banks will also onboard livestock sellers, transporters and allied service providers onto digital platforms through account openings and QR code-based payment solutions.

To support higher transaction volumes during the Eid period, the SBP has introduced temporary relaxations in transaction limits and account balance caps from May 14 to June 5, 2026.

In parallel, mobile banking vans, ATMs and cash deposit machines will be deployed where feasible to improve financial access at and around cattle markets.

The central bank has encouraged the use of mobile banking apps, branchless banking wallets, Raast-enabled services and QR-based payments, saying digital channels offer improved convenience, transparency and security compared to cash handling.

SBP said the initiative is aimed at building a more efficient, transparent and inclusive financial ecosystem while reducing risks associated with large-scale cash transactions during the Eid season.