PM briefs Gates Foundation team about cashless economy

Business Recorder reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a Gates Foundation delegation on Thursday that Islamabad wants women receiving financial aid to be paid straight into their accounts through digital channels. The premier argued that electronic transfers would make the system more open and ensure support reaches its intended recipients promptly and without leakage.

Sharif described a cashless economy as a central element of the government's governance reform plan, placed alongside food security, maternal and newborn health, poverty reduction and climate action. He presented the proposed Cashless Pakistan initiative as a way to simplify everyday transactions for ordinary citizens while making government operations more efficient and transparent.

The prime minister credited the foundation with supporting the growth of digital payments so far and said he hopes to collaborate on widening financial inclusion for women and strengthening their economic participation. He also thanked the organisation for its help with polio eradication, healthcare, nutrition and aid for vulnerable groups, and reaffirmed that the national polio programme has the top level of government backing.