Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has underscored the importance of a digital transaction system as crucial for ensuring transparency in the economy. During a weekly meeting focused on advancing the cashless and digital economy, the Prime Minister highlighted the need to simplify payment processes for citizens and businesses and to enhance awareness regarding digital systems.

The Prime Minister called for collaborative efforts from the committees dedicated to the cashless economy, urging them to work with all stakeholders to develop practical and actionable proposals.

The meeting featured insights from the State Bank of Pakistan, which is currently devising a strategy to facilitate digital payments for traders, in a bid to boost digital transactions. A simplified package is also set to be introduced to include small businesses in digital payment systems.

The ambition is to increase the number of mobile application users for digital payments from 95 million to 120 million, while aiming to elevate the overall digital payment volume from 7.5 billion rupees to 12 billion rupees. The Prime Minister, however, has instructed that these targets be doubled.

Efforts are also being made to expand Wi-Fi internet access across Islamabad, particularly in critical areas such as hospitals, educational institutions, government offices, parks, and metro bus lines.