News Desk
LAHORE: In a significant step toward realizing the vision of a Digital Pakistan, Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and easypaisa digital bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote digital financial inclusion across 93 villages under RUDA’s jurisdiction.
The ceremony, held at RUDA’s Head Office in Lahore, establishes a framework for cooperation focused on raising awareness and improving accessibility to branchless banking for residents and small businesses.
The MoU was signed by Shahzad Khan, Chief Business Officer, easypaisa digital bank, and Brig. (Retd.) Bakhtiar Akram, Executive Director, Land Acquisition at RUDA.
Senior officials and organizational leaders were also present, including Bilal Saeed Khan (Executive Director, Merchant Business) and Umer Faraz Anjum, Director, Merchant Payments from easypaisa. While Fatima Ali Khan, Director, Special Initiatives, CSR & Diversity, Ahad Yousuf, Director, Climate Change, Syed Moazzam Ali, Deputy Director, Special Initiatives, and Raza Shahid, Deputy Director, PR, were in attendance from RUDA’s side.
Through this landmark partnership, easypaisa digital bank and RUDA are actively collaborating on the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Scheme, with a shared vision to position Ravi City as a fully cashless model urban center. The initiative will integrate digital financial solutions into the very fabric of the city’s design, ensuring that from its inception, Ravi City serves as a benchmark for digital innovation, financial inclusion, and modern governance. By embedding cashless infrastructure and services across residential, commercial, and public sectors, the partnership aims to create an ecosystem where digital transactions become the norm, enhancing transparency, convenience, and economic efficiency for all.
Speaking at the ceremony, Shahzad Khan, Chief Business Officer, easypaisa digital bank, noted that every fifth Pakistani now has an easypaisa account, highlighting the platform’s deep reach as Pakistan’s first digital bank. He added: “This partnership underscores easypaisa’s commitment to fostering a financially inclusive economy by creating tangible impact at the grassroots level. By enabling digital financial inclusion across 93 villages under RUDA’s jurisdiction, we are driving meaningful change under the Prime Minister’s and State Bank’s cashless economy initiative and empowering these communities to fully participate in the digital economy.”
Brig. (Retd.) Bakhtiar Akram emphasized the partnership’s transformative potential: “This collaboration is a perfect example of how technology and development can converge to create tangible impact.” He highlighted the goal of transforming 93 villages into model communities of economic modernity and reaffirmed RUDA’s commitment to building a future where every citizen can participate in the digital economy, aligning with UN SDGs and the Prime Minister’s vision of a cashless Pakistan.
Fatima Ali Khan, Director, Special Initiatives, CSR & Diversity, RUDA, highlighted the community-first approach, stating: “Financial inclusion is the bedrock of economic empowerment. Through this MOU, RUDA aims to bring unbanked rural populations into the formal digital financial fold through awareness and outreach.”
Syed Moazzam Ali, Deputy Director, Special Initiatives, RUDA, elaborated that both organizations will encourage local shopkeepers to become digital hubs, making transactions accessible, transparent, and secure for local communities. He further added that beyond financial inclusion, this collaboration holds potential for broader social impact, noting that RUDA and easypaisa can also explore future initiatives related to girls’ education and clean drinking water, further uplifting these rural communities.
With over 59 million registered users and as the country’s first digital bank to commence commercial operations, easypaisa remains aligned with the State Bank of Pakistan’s vision to drive inclusive economic growth. We are committed to expanding our range of financial products and services not just for our current users, but also for the millions who remain unbanked or underbanked.
