Pakistan’s central bank is preparing to link Raast, the world’s most advanced instant payment system, with 60 countries within one year.
This includes Middle Eastern nations, aiming to boost remittances sent home by overseas Pakistanis.
The bank has received support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to potentially introduce digital currency in the future. Currently, they are evaluating the feasibility and process of launching this currency in Pakistan.
Saleem Ullah, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), highlighted that the banking system, including the central bank, has not adequately supported the Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) sector, crucial for the domestic economy.
Speaking at the DiGiBAP 2024 conference, he mentioned that the central bank has started the process of globally connecting Raast, beginning with 60 countries in the first year. He emphasized the priority of linking Raast with the Arab regional payment system, ‘Buna’, given the large Pakistani expatriate population (approximately 9 million) in those countries.
Buna facilitates cross-border payments between the Arab world and global banks. Integrating Raast with Buna is expected to significantly increase remittances by lowering the costs of international financial transactions.