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The federal government has decided to make QR codes mandatory on all electricity, telephone, and gas bills to promote digital payments.
The decision was made in a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aiming to modernize the country’s payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on cash.
The move will allow consumers to pay their utility bills more conveniently through mobile and digital banking apps by simply scanning the printed QR codes.
In a related step, the Secretary Petroleum and the OGRA Chairman have been tasked with preparing a plan within one month to introduce QR code, Point-of-Sale (PoS), and soft PoS payment options at all fuel stations across Pakistan.
The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has also been directed to review existing regulations to mandate digital payment acceptance across all utility and service sectors.
As part of broader reforms, revised digital payment targets for the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) were approved. The Finance Ministry and SBP will increase the digital payment subsidy ceiling to Rs. 3.5 billion.
To ease the transition, banks will be allowed to charge merchants a maximum Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) of 0.25 percent, with any extra cost being covered by service providers.
The Government Payments Sub-Committee will work with provincial governments to update and align implementation timelines.
These steps reflect the government’s commitment to expanding the country’s digital economy and ensuring financial inclusion.
