Tue, 21-Oct-2025

SBP issues Raast participation criteria

SBP issues guidelines for regulatory sandbox

KARACHI: The State of Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued Raast participation criteria outlining minimum requirements for the entities desirous of becoming the Raast participants and have the necessary functional and technical capabilities to provide digital payment services to their customers through Raast.

Raast is a state-of-the-art instant payment system launched by the SBP in 2021 to facilitate instant, safe and efficient transfer of funds across the country i.e. “instant payments – Pal Bhar Mein. Mulk Bhar Mein”.

Raast offers bulk payments facility, person-to-person (P2P) transfers, person-to-merchant (P2M) payments, and payment initiation services.

Since its launch, forty-four (44) entities including SBP Regulated and Government entities have been on-boarded on Raast as the participants.

SBP envisages that the issuance of Raast Participation Criteria will facilitate the prospective participants in onboarding on Raast, significantly enhance the number of participants, promote digital payments, and encourage innovation and competition in the payments market.

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State Bank unveils Asaan Digital Accounts

SBP

KARACHI: To celebrate the journey of women’s financial inclusion in Pakistan, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in collaboration with Bank Alfalah, Standard Chartered Bank and the United Bank Limited, hosted an event titled “Asaan Digital Account: Breaking Barriers”, on March 7, 2022, a statement said. SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir was the chief guest. … Read more

SBP allows opening bank accounts through digital channels

SBP

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday said it has enabled resident Pakistanis to open bank accounts through digital channels, a statement said. With the rapid growth in the adoption of electronic banking channels, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand from the bank and customers for digital financial transactions have increased manifold, … Read more