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ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 (APP): The government will train 250,000 Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries in digital finance skills as it prepares to launch a new interoperable digital payment model by June 2026.
Official documents exclusively available with Wealth Pakistan say the initiative aims to make social protection payments more flexible, transparent, and accessible for millions of low-income families.
Under the plan, BISP disbursements will move away from the current structure, where only a few designated banks handle transfers, to a competitive, open payment system that allows beneficiaries to use CNIC-linked digital wallets or accounts and withdraw funds through commercial banks, branchless operators, ATMs, agents, and other authorised digital platforms.
A central part of the reform is preparing recipients to handle the new system confidently. The government plans a nationwide financial literacy programme for 250,000 BISP beneficiaries to help them use digital tools safely and effectively.
This builds on a pilot phase completed by January 2024, where 4,000 women beneficiaries were trained in partnership with UNICEF and the German development agency GIZ. The sessions covered financial planning, household decision-making, safe use of mobile phones for transactions, and awareness about government digital services.
The expanded programme will adapt these modules for large-scale rollout. Training materials have been developed in Urdu and regional languages to ensure accessibility for women and rural families, who make up the bulk of BISP’s more than nine million beneficiary households.
“Financial literacy is critical to making digital payments safe and effective,” a senior official involved in the initiative told Wealth Pakistan. “If beneficiaries understand how to use digital wallets securely and plan their expenses, the transition to an open, competitive payment system will be transformative,” he said.
The official said the reform will particularly benefit women in remote districts, who often rely on male family members or informal channels to access their cash transfers. With direct control of CNIC-linked wallets, women will be able to plan spending, save small amounts, and access other financial products over time.
On-ground community training sessions and mobile outreach teams will target hard-to-reach areas, ensuring that households in villages without reliable bank branches can still participate.
“Training is the foundation for digital inclusion,” the official told Wealth Pakistan. “Once people know how to use wallets safely, they can graduate to other formal financial services — the impact can go far beyond BISP,” he added.
The official said that the interoperable payment model and associated literacy programme are on track for full deployment by June 2026. The next phase will focus on scaling training sessions across provinces, expanding cash-out access points, and strengthening digital safety protocols.
By opening BISP payments to a wider network of providers, the government expects to boost competition among banks and fintechs, lower transaction costs, and create a safer, more efficient cash-out infrastructure across Pakistan. The model is also expected to strengthen the country’s digital public finance capacity and help move more people from informal cash handling into the formal economy.