{
  "id": 19821628,
  "title": "Govt Extends Raast QR Payment Subsidy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/govt-extends-raast-qr-payment-subsidy",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-13T13:45:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/13/govt-extends-raast-qr-payment-subsidy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pakistani government has announced an extension of its subsidy program for merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on Raast QR payments, aimed at promoting digital payment methods as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Cashless Pakistan Initiative. During a meeting with banking executives at the Pakistan Banks Association's headquarters in Karachi, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani confirmed the government's commitment to the initiative. The subsidy, which covers MDR charges associated with QR transactions, was extended to maintain the momentum in digital payment adoption. Minister Kayani also provided an update on the progress of the Cashless Pakistan Initiative, noting increased adoption of digital payments and the digitization of government payments. He emphasized the targets set for fiscal year 2026. Kayani instructed the State Bank of Pakistan to convene discussions with banking executives, including the CEO of Raast and Karandaaz, to develop recommendations for the Prime Minister's Cashless Committee. The committee is tasked with enhancing user experience across digital payment methods, with a focus on QR payments, and devising practical measures to encourage wider adoption. Additionally, the committee is working on introducing new performance indicators and revising existing targets to accelerate the digitization of payments across the country. The minister emphasized the importance of banks playing a more active role in expanding digital payment adoption.",
  "summary": "The federal government has decided to continue subsidizing merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on Raast QR payments to encourage businesses … Read More The post Govt Extends Raast QR Payment Subsidy appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}