Deadline Set for Raast QR at Retail Shops

News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Office has issued strict directives to federal secretaries, provincial chief secretaries, and heads of regulatory bodies to ensure that all retail outlets under their jurisdiction obtain and prominently display Raast QR codes by August 31, 2025, as part of the government’s push towards a cashless economy.

In an official communication, Prime Minister’s Advisor conveyed the directive to key secretaries, including those from the Cabinet, Power, and Petroleum Divisions, and chief secretaries of all provinces, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Regulatory heads of OGRA, NEPRA, and the ICT administration were also directed to enforce compliance.Pakistan Records 9-year low fiscal deficit of 5.38% in FY25

The instruction follows the State Bank of Pakistan’s launch of a national strategy to promote digital payment acceptance infrastructure—like Raast QR, POS, and Soft POS—at all commercial and retail locations across the country.

PMO Directs Immediate Enforcement Measures

To fast-track implementation, the PMO has called on ministries and departments to take the following steps on priority:

• Ensure retail outlets acquire and display Raast QR codes by August 31, 2025
• Link QR code/POS readiness to licensing and renewal processes
• Develop compliance mechanisms with penalties for outlets refusing digital payments
• Facilitate integration with SBP-regulated entities including banks, Mobile Payment Banks (MPBs) and EMIs

The PMO has also appointed Dr Shazia Ghani as the focal person for coordination and monitoring, with ministries instructed to engage with her team and SBP for operational execution.

Pakistan’s Push for Digital Payments

Pakistan’s push towards a cashless digital economy is a key government priority. In recent years, the State Bank’s Raast system has become a foundational tool for enabling low-cost, real-time payments.

To scale adoption, the SBP’s Digital Payments Innovation Sub-Committee has set the following revised targets:

• Increase active QR code payment points to 2 million (from 0.5 million)
• Ensure each merchant processes at least 1 transaction per month
• Grow digital banking users to 120 million by FY26 (currently 95 million)
• Double digital transaction volumes to 15 billion annually
• Achieve 100% digitization of remittances (currently at 80%)

The Ministry of Finance is also finalizing a cashless mechanism for G2P and P2G payments, aimed at increasing efficiency and transparency in SOEs. These measures are expected to reduce reliance on cash, curb informal transactions, and expand the country’s documented economy.