ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for accelerated efforts to promote digital transactions and build a cashless economy, highlighting its central role in ensuring economic transparency and simplifying citizen-business interactions.
Chairing a weekly review meeting on Pakistan’s digital economy initiative in Islamabad, the Prime Minister urged relevant committees to work closely with all stakeholders and submit concrete, actionable proposals.
He stressed the need to raise public awareness about digital payment systems and directed authorities to facilitate their adoption by small businesses through simplified packages and support mechanisms.
The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of the State Bank of Pakistan’s ongoing work on a national strategy aimed at streamlining digital payment options for traders. According to officials, the strategy focuses on enhancing ease of use, reducing friction in onboarding, and encouraging merchant acceptance of digital transactions.
Targets under discussion included increasing the number of mobile application users from 95 million to 120 million and growing digital transaction volumes from Rs7.5 billion to Rs12 billion. However, PM Sharif instructed that both targets be doubled, signaling a push for deeper and faster adoption of digital payments across the economy.
To support this broader transition, parallel efforts are underway to expand Wi-Fi internet coverage throughout Islamabad. The initiative will prioritize public hospitals, educational institutions, government offices, city parks, and metro bus routes to strengthen the digital infrastructure backbone essential for inclusive access.
The Prime Minister’s directives reflect the government’s commitment to formalising the economy and modernising financial ecosystems as a key pillar of economic policy.
