The Government of Pakistan has decided to conduct an independent audit and comprehensive review of its cashless economy initiative, focusing on the program’s design, implementation, impact, and governance mechanisms. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the progress, performance, and overall effectiveness of the national cashless transition agenda.
The government has launched a nationwide program aimed at transforming the public sector and the broader economy into a cashless and digital system. This strategy is centered on promoting transparency, enhancing financial inclusion, improving public service delivery, and reducing corruption and inefficiencies in government transactions.
Under this initiative, a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be established to enable digital payments across both public and private sectors. This framework will support service digitalization, facilitate payments through Raast, develop a national data exchange layer, and introduce a single sign-on system, allowing citizens to access services and make payments through integrated digital applications nationwide.
The project also aims to empower merchants across Pakistan to accept and process digital payments. Various measures are being implemented, including the installation of QR codes, reduction in customs duty on payment devices, and lower transaction fees on Raast-based digital payments to reduce costs for businesses.
Expanding the country’s digital infrastructure is another core component of the plan. To accelerate fiber-optic deployment and improve nationwide digital connectivity, the government has decided to eliminate Right of Way (RoW) charges—fees telecom companies pay when laying fiber beneath housing societies, roads, or railway tracks. Major federal entities including Pakistan Railways, the National Highway Authority (NHA), and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have already issued zero RoW charge notifications. Provincial governments are also in the process of implementing the same directive.
The Prime Minister is personally overseeing the progress of the cashless economy program. A steering committee has been established under his instructions, supported by three subcommittees:
- Digital Payments, Innovation, and Adoption Subcommittee, headed by the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.
- Digital Public Infrastructure Development Subcommittee, chaired by the Federal Minister for IT.
- Digitization of Government Payments (G2P and P2G) Subcommittee, led by the Federal Finance Secretary.
These committees are working toward key outcomes and goals, including increases in active digital merchants, digital banking users, annual digital transactions, progress on the Digital Payments Index, financial inclusion metrics, women’s access to financial services, nationwide internet penetration, and the share of digitalized G2P and P2G payments.
Given the scale, complexity, and national importance of the cashless economy initiative, the Government of Pakistan is engaging an internationally qualified consultancy firm through a competitive international bidding process.
The selected firm will present an independent and comprehensive assessment of the program’s design, implementation roadmap, impacts, and governance framework, providing valuable insights to strengthen and accelerate Pakistan’s transition toward a fully digital and cashless economy.
