{
  "id": 5250174,
  "title": "Govt to Build Centralized Merchant Database to Boost Cashless Economy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/govt-to-build-centralized-merchant-database-to-boost-cashless-economy",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-03T04:03:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/09/03/govt-to-build-centralized-merchant-database-to-boost-cashless-economy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pakistani government is set to create a centralized merchant database to bolster the nation's cashless economy, according to a recent meeting. The proposal was discussed during a high-level review chaired by Finance Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani, aiming to advance Pakistan's digital financial transformation ahead of the Prime Minister's Cashless Initiative review. The meeting evaluated last year's growth in active digital merchants, total digital transaction volumes, and digital banking users. It also assessed the progress in digitizing government payments across State-Owned Enterprises and autonomous bodies, with a focus on fully digitizing vendor, employee, and pension payouts. Committee members proposed establishing the centralized merchant database to enhance real-time transaction visibility and streamline user journeys for seamless digital payments. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's vision of a transparent, documented, and inclusive economy, with regular progress reviews ensuring swift execution and public convenience. Officials from the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Pakistan, NADRA, Capital Development Authority, Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, and private sector stakeholders participated in the discussion.",
  "summary": "The government plans to establish a centralized merchant database to enhance real-time visibility of digital transactions, as part of its … Read More The post Govt to Build Centralized Merchant Database to Boost Cashless Economy 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."
}