ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday highlighted the importance of implementing a digital transaction system across Pakistan, stressing its potential to bring transparency to the country’s economy. Chairing a meeting on the shift to a cashless and digital economy at the Prime Minister’s House, the prime minister urged the facilitation of payments between citizens and businesses and advocated for greater public awareness about digital systems.
During the meeting, the prime minister directed the committees formed to focus on a cashless economy to collaborate with stakeholders and develop actionable recommendations. The meeting was informed that the State Bank of Pakistan is working on a strategy to streamline digital payment methods for merchants, with a simplified package planned to encourage small businesses to adopt digital payments.
The government aims to increase the number of mobile app users for digital payments from 95 million to 120 million, and the number of merchants using QR codes from 0.9 million to 2 million. Additionally, the total volume of digital payments is projected to rise from Rs 7.5 billion to Rs 12 billion. The prime minister set a target to double these figures.
The meeting also discussed the ongoing “Digital National Pakistan” initiative. The Islamabad City mobile app, which has already been downloaded 1.3 million times, has enabled the collection of Rs 15.5 billion under ICT Excise and Taxation. Further developments include the Digital Pakistan ID project and the introduction of e-stamping facilities in Islamabad.
Additionally, efforts are underway to provide Wi-Fi internet services across Islamabad, with plans to expand these facilities to other federal areas, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
In another major initiative, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed the government’s commitment to eradicating polio from Pakistan. He chaired a meeting of the Anti-Polio Task Force, reaffirming that with support from international, provincial, and local teams, the country would soon achieve a polio-free status. The prime minister praised the efforts of polio workers and emphasized the safety of those involved in the campaign.
The meeting highlighted specific plans for targeted polio vaccination campaigns in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, designed to address the unique challenges faced in each district. The government’s ongoing anti-polio efforts aim to eliminate both the virus in children and its environmental presence.
