SBP launches InvestPak portal for direct investment in government securities

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday introduced InvestPak, a digital platform aimed at fully digitising investment in government securities for both retail and corporate users, while also launching a media campaign to broaden public awareness and encourage greater retail participation in the sovereign debt market.

The launch ceremony was hosted at the central bank by SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb attending as the chief guest. The event was attended by senior SBP officials, presidents of banks, corporate executives, insurance companies, mutual funds, and other representatives from the banking and financial sector.

Speaking at the event, Aurangzeb said the portal was a significant move towards widening access to investment opportunities in Pakistan. He said the platform would provide ordinary citizens, particularly young people, as well as companies and institutions, with direct digital access to sovereign investment products.

He said the initiative was intended to make participation in the formal financial system easier and more inclusive.

"This is about making participation in the formal financial sector simpler, more inclusive, and more accessible for every segment of society," Aurangzeb said.

The finance minister also linked the initiative to private sector financing, saying a broader investor base in government securities could allow banks to devote more attention to lending for productive economic activity.

Addressing the same ceremony, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad described InvestPak as an important step in the country’s financial sector development, and added that the platform reflected the central bank’s commitment to inclusive, sustainable and digital access to financial services under its Strategic Vision 2028.

Ahmad said the portal was more than a technological tool and represented the fulfilment of a long-standing objective to build a government securities market that is broader, more inclusive and more efficient. He added that InvestPak would open a new era of digital access and empowerment for investors across Pakistan.

Awareness campaign launched alongside portal

Alongside the platform’s launch, the SBP also rolled out a media campaign intended to inform the public about the new system and support wider participation by retail investors in the sovereign debt market.