ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to make Islamabad the country’s first fully cashless city, setting Dec 31 as the deadline for the transition.
The decision was taken at a meeting on Cashless Islamabad chaired by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Thursday. Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sohail Ashraf, representatives of the banking sector and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Tallal Chaudhry said consultation and suggestions from all stakeholders were important for the success of the Cashless Islamabad project.
He said implementation of the project was under way at a fast pace on the special instructions of the prime minister and interior minister.
After Nov 30, he said, no cash payment will be accepted in any department of the Islamabad Capital Territory administration and the CDA.
The target is to bring all merchants in Islamabad into the cashless system by Dec 31. He said the cashless system would improve financial transparency, tax monitoring and the transaction system.
Tallal Chaudhry said 26,000 merchants in Islamabad had already been connected to the digital payments system. A digital payment facility will be provided at every level, from street vendors to major business centres, he said,addingthatallrelevant institutions would work together to make Islamabad a modern digital city.
Later talking to Dawn, the state minister said that from a pushcart merchant to big shop owners, all will use a QR codebased cashless system. He said in line with the vision of PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Islamabad is being developed as a model city for a cashless economy.
He said a cashless system has already been successfully introduced in Islamabad’s weekly bazaars, CDA’s One-Window Facilitation Centre, and metro and electric bus ser-vices.
Meanwhile, the scope of QR code-based payments is being rapidly expanded to all shopping malls and Class-III markets across the capital. A cashless system is also being introduced in hotels, guest houses, petrol pumps, and restaurants in the city.
Tallal Chaudhry said commercial banks must ensure comprehensive awareness for both merchants and citizens to promote cashless transactions. He added that all banks should offer maximum discounts and incentives to shopkeepers, traders, and consumers to encourage payments via Raast QR codes.
He said initiatives such as M-Tag and digital parking are also being introduced to transform Islamabad into a fully digital city.
He added that these measures will play a vital role in making Islamabad a completely cashless and digitised capital.
Representatives of the banking sector appreciated the government’s Cashless Islamabad initiative and assured full cooperation for its success.