JazzCash channels PKR 90bn to public sector, development beneficiaries in 2026: Arif Chaudhary

JazzCash has disbursed over PKR 90 billion on behalf of the government and development sector partners this year, reaching more than three million beneficiaries. Half of them, 1.48 million women under the Benazir Income Support Programme, now receive their payments directly into their JazzCash wallet instead of collecting them in person.

Arif Chaudhary, Vice President for Public Sector Partnerships at JazzCash, explained that the new system saves recipients travel time and effort, which previously constituted a significant portion of their stipend. The initiative aims to provide direct aid to low-income households, currently over twelve million, who often have to travel long distances and wait in queues for their payments.

Unbanked individuals constitute around 40% of Pakistan's adult population, and government-to-person disbursements, such as BISP, are crucial in reaching them. When JazzCash entered this space, the primary challenge was building trust among beneficiaries who usually had no prior banking history, without delaying the necessary payments.

This approach has been extended to over a dozen programs across the four provinces and the development sector, including Punjab’s Rahmat Card, Sindh’s Girls Stipend Programme, and training stipends for Balochistan’s Provincial Institute for Teacher Education and Assessment & Examination Commission. The long-term plan includes deepening the BISP model and replicating it across additional welfare, pension, and subsidy programs as the government phases out cash transfers.

JazzCash is also focusing on establishing credit, savings, and insurance products, leveraging the same wallet platform currently utilized by BISP beneficiaries.