SBP Spends Rs. 30 Billion on Printing Currency Notes

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) allocated Rs. 29.6 billion for printing currency notes in FY2025-26, marking a rise from Rs. 27.8 billion the previous year. This expenditure saw a 6 percent increase, driven by the growing amount of currency circulating in the economy. During FY26, banknotes in circulation surged by Rs. 1.8 trillion, bringing the total to Rs.

12.659 trillion by year-end. The rising costs of printing materials like paper and ink, coupled with transportation and logistics, likely contributed to the heightened printing expenses. These notes are produced by Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (Private) Limited, a fully owned entity of the SBP. Despite the surge in digital transactions in Pakistan, currency circulation has expanded, necessitating more printed currency.

To encourage digital payments, the SBP initiated its payment system subsidiary, RAAST, and is likely to face further printing costs with the release of newly designed currency notes.