-Launches Pakistan’s first instant digital payment system ‘Raast’
-Claims Pakistan among States generating the lowest tax revenue
-Says Digital Pakistan to help us move away from cash economy
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday formed a five-member ministerial committee aimed at keeping a close eye on the law and order situation in the country in the wake of PDM’s protest in Islamabad.
According to details, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad is being tasked to lead the committee, which would also include Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood and Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar. A notification issued by the PM office said that the committee would monitor the law and order situation and protests being held in Islamabad.
According to sources, the committee was formed in the wake of the PDM’s protest in Islamabad and it would be entitled to hold talks with the protestors. The committee would convey minute-by-minute details to the prime minister regarding the law and order situation.
It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan on January 05 directed authorities not to create any hurdle in the protest movement of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). PM Imran allowed PDM’s planned protest in front of the Election Commission and also directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed not to create any hurdle in the PDM’s upcoming protest outside ECP headquarter in Islamabad.
He said that the opposition may exercise its right to protest.
Meanwhile on Monday Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the country’s first instant Digital Payment System ‘Raast’ in Islamabad.
Raast is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Digital Pakistan vision aimed to include poor segments of the society in the formal economy.
While addressing the ceremony, the prime minister congratulated the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for introducing the program for the poor segments of the society.
“We are trying to alleviate poverty through Ehsaas Program and the launch of ‘Raast’ program will help in ending the poverty in the country,” added Imran Khan.
He said the program would help give a boost to the Ehsaas program; particularly its mobile wallet and extend its reach to the women in the rural areas.
He regretted that Pakistan was among the countries in the world which generates very low-income tax. “Only 2 million people pay tax out of the country’s 220 million population.
He said Pakistan’s foreign remittances have been constantly on the rise for the past five months and has helped stabilize the Pakistan Rupee.
He said that after a gap of 17 years Pakistan’s current account has gone into surplus and, lowered pressure on Pakistan Rupee and played a key role in strengthening the national economy.
Any pressure on the dollar raises the cost of commodities – like edible oil, ghee, pulses etc imported for the common man, he said.
“With an increase in revenue collection, the government would create extra space for the government in spending on the human development – education, health, clean drinking water,” said PM.
The prime minister hoped a move towards Digital Pakistan would help put Pakistan back on track’.
Raast Program: Raast is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan Digital Pakistan’s vision to include poor segments of the society in the formal economy.
Pakistan’s Faster Payment System, Raast, would be used not only to settle small-value retail payments in real-time but also to provide cheap and universal access to all players in the financial industry including banks and fintechs.
