Islamabad: A high-level delegation from the Gates Foundation, including Dr. Anita Zaidi and Dr. Kalpana Kochhar, met with Bilal Azhar Kayani, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance, to review progress on the country’s digital transformation efforts. The discussions centered around the Cashless Pakistan initiative, which has seen significant growth in digital payments and merchant adoption of Raast QR, surpassing government targets. According to Press Information Department, the initiative, directly supervised by the Prime Minister, has led to a marked increase in active digital payment merchants, supported by a substantial government subsidy.
The Minister also outlined broader economic reforms, such as the “Asaan Tax Scheme” aimed at formalizing the economy. The Gates Foundation endorsed these efforts and assured continued support through Karandaaz, emphasizing the importance of transparency and efficiency in public payments. The meeting concluded with mutual commitments to further accelerate digital and economic reforms in Pakistan.