ISLAMABAD:
A high-level meeting chaired by Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, was held at the CDA Headquarters to review progress on promoting a cashless economy in the Federal Capital.
The meeting was attended by Member Finance Tahir Naeem, senior officers from the CDA and ICT Administration, and representatives from major commercial banks and telecom companies.
Chairman Randhawa stated that, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Islamabad is being developed as a model city for a cashless economy.
The meeting reviewed steps taken to promote digital transactions, including the display of Raast QR codes across urban and rural areas for all types of payments. The system has already been implemented successfully at CDA’s One-Window Facilitation Centers, weekly bazaars, metro, and electric buses.
It was informed that over 39,000 vendors and shopkeepers have joined the cashless system, with expansion underway to all markets, shopping malls, and Class-III shopping centers. Data from financial institutions is being integrated via a dedicated monitoring dashboard.
Chairman Randhawa emphasized public awareness and instructed stakeholders to offer incentives for businesses and consumers adopting digital payments. He directed that seminars be organized with trade unions to help address traders’ challenges and promote adoption.
He also ordered mandatory implementation of the cashless payment system in hotels, guest houses, petrol pumps, schools, and restaurants, directing bank field teams to coordinate with the CDA and district administration for support.
Randhawa reaffirmed that these initiatives aim to make Islamabad a fully cashless and digitized city, ensuring secure, transparent, and efficient digital transactions for all citizens.
