Easypaisa Digital Bank and the Ravi Urban Development Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Lahore to promote digital financial inclusion across 93 villages falling under RUDA’s jurisdiction, establishing a formal framework for cooperation that focuses on raising awareness and improving access to branchless banking for rural residents and small businesses. The agreement, signed at RUDA’s head office, positions the collaboration as a direct contribution to the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Scheme, with both organisations sharing a vision to develop Ravi City as a fully cashless model urban centre where digital transactions are embedded into the fabric of the city from its very inception.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Shahzad Khan, Chief Business Officer at Easypaisa Digital Bank, and Brigadier Retired Bakhtiar Akram, Executive Director for Land Acquisition at RUDA. Khan noted that every fifth Pakistani now holds an Easypaisa account, underscoring the platform’s reach as Pakistan’s first digital bank, and described the partnership as an expression of the company’s commitment to creating tangible impact at the grassroots level. He emphasised that enabling digital financial access across the 93 villages would drive meaningful change under both the Prime Minister’s cashless economy initiative and the State Bank of Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth. Brigadier Retired Bakhtiar Akram described the collaboration as a convergence of technology and development that would help transform these communities into model centres of economic modernity. Fatima Ali Khan, Director of Special Initiatives, Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity at RUDA, added that financial inclusion is the foundation of economic empowerment, and that the initiative aims to draw unbanked rural populations into the formal digital financial ecosystem through sustained awareness and community outreach.
Beyond individual account access, the partnership envisions a broader transformation of the local economic ecosystem. Both organisations intend to encourage local shopkeepers to serve as digital transaction hubs, making cashless payments accessible, transparent, and secure for residents across the villages. Deputy Director of Special Initiatives at RUDA, Syed Moazzam Ali, also highlighted the potential for the collaboration to extend into adjacent social impact areas, including girls’ education and access to clean drinking water, indicating that the Memorandum of Understanding is designed as a platform for broader community development rather than purely a financial services initiative. With over 59 million registered users and as Pakistan’s first digital bank to commence commercial operations, Easypaisa is positioned to play a central role in realising the State Bank’s ambition of expanding formal financial services to the millions of Pakistanis who remain unbanked or underbanked.
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