The government has announced plans to provide digital wallets to all eligible beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) this year, allowing them to receive payments digitally and access a range of other financial services.
Speaking at the launch ceremony of Z-Wallet, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said the government, along with public and private sector institutions, was taking steps to promote digital payments across Pakistan.
He said all BISP beneficiaries would be provided with digital wallets, which would function similarly to bank accounts and allow recipients to manage their funds more easily.
More than 10 million BISP beneficiaries are already receiving payments through digital channels, while the new wallets will enable them to pay utility bills, transfer money and access other financial services.
Kayani said the Raast digital payment system had played an important role in expanding digital transactions, adding that the government was working to make the system more accessible and user-friendly.
According to the minister, the number of merchants using digital payment facilities has surpassed 2 million, while digital banking users have reached 137 million.
He said the government had also introduced subsidies on merchant discount rates (MDR) to encourage QR-code payments and had made significant progress in digitising government payments.
Digital payment adoption among government institutions has increased from 9% to 76%, while the rate among self-accounting entities has risen from 5% to 75%.
The government said the digitalisation of public payments aims to improve transparency, efficiency and convenience while expanding financial inclusion across the country.
On the other hand, the government of Pakistan issued a new guideline for all the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) receiving financial assistance through the programme’s digital wallet and Benazir SIM system.
A BISP spokesperson advised beneficiaries to obtain their Benazir SIM only from designated BISP offices and warned against receiving SIMs from agents, unauthorised individuals or other locations.
Women who have not yet received their Benazir SIM can collect it free of charge from their nearest BISP office.
They must bring their original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and personal mobile phone for verification and activation.
BISP has instructed beneficiaries to ask its staff to install the SIM in their mobile phones themselves. Beneficiaries have also been advised not to hand over their phones to agents or other unauthorised persons.
Read more: Govt issues guidelines for BISP digital wallet, Benazir sim