Govt Orders Independent Audit of Cashless Economy Initiative 2025

The government has decided to commission an independent review and audit of its flagship Cashless Economy Initiative 2025, a reform program designed to steer Pakistan towards a digitally enabled and transparent financial system. Launched earlier this year, the initiative is one of the most ambitious economic transformations undertaken by the state, designed to promote transparency, broaden financial inclusion, improve public service delivery, expand the tax base, and plug leakages in government transactions. A high-level committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, has been overseeing the program since June 2025 with weekly progress reviews. The government has also constituted three functional committees to drive implementation in critical areas: Digital Payments Adoption and Innovation, Digital Public Infrastructure, and Government Payments. Under the plan, all government-to-person (G2P) and person-to-government (P2G) payments are being digitized, while retailers across the country are being enabled to adopt digital payment modes. Key digital infrastructures, including Raast and QR-based systems, are also being scaled up. Recognizing the scale and complexity of the program, the government will now engage a qualified international consultancy firm, selected through a competitive bidding process, to independently assess the design, implementation, impact, and governance mechanisms of the initiative. According to official documents, the performance audit will evaluate progress against targets and KPIs, review institutional arrangements and governance frameworks, and highlight risks, challenges, and gaps in implementation. The consultancy will also be tasked with providing actionable recommendations to strengthen both the current phase and future rollouts of the cashless agenda. The scope of the audit includes: In addition, the selected firm will review the performance of the three oversight committees, assess coordination between public and private stakeholders, and examine internal and external monitoring systems. Officials said the consultant will also be expected to recommend improvements for ensuring timely and effective execution of the initiative, alongside proposals for new interventions under the broader Cashless Pakistan agenda.