The National Database and Registration Authority has digitised 99 percent of payments at its service centres across Pakistan. The move marks a major step in the government’s wider push toward a cashless economy.
The progress was reviewed during a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani at the Finance Division on October 13. Officials assessed digital payment adoption and discussed targets for the next phase of the Cashless Pakistan initiative.
The number of merchants accepting digital payments increased fourfold during the last fiscal year. Passport centres have also been enabled to accept digital payments, expanding cashless services across major federal institutions.
Officials said around 75 percent of payments across centralised and self-accounting federal government entities can now be made digitally. The government is monitoring progress through indicators such as active digital payment users, annual transaction volumes and the number of merchants accepting electronic payments.
The committee also decided to review how active users, merchants and unique digital payment customers are defined. The aim is to improve data accuracy and prevent double counting.
Kayani asked private sector representatives to prepare recommendations on tax policy changes that could encourage wider adoption of digital payments. He said the Cashless Pakistan programme is designed to make transactions easier, increase transparency and bring more economic activity into the documented economy.
The government plans to continue working with banks, fintech companies, regulators and technology firms to expand digital payment access.
Representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan, NADRA, Pakistan Digital Authority, Easypaisa, JazzCash, Bank Alfalah, JS Bank and other institutions attended the meeting.
The latest progress signals a rapid shift toward digital transactions across Pakistan’s public sector.
