Since its independence, there has been no shortage of foreign assistance in Pakistan, frequently and irrevocably tied to foreign advice and “conditions”. Reforms to mobilize and shore up its coffers in a sustainable manner have failed to achieve the desired outcomes leading to Debt to GDP trailing greater than 50 per cent over the last two decades and exceeding 70 per cent many times during recent years. Pakistan has a crippling and long-running debt problem.
According to the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) database, only about a fourth of the tax collections in the country come through direct taxes. The majority—historically, 60-70% of taxes are indirect taxes—mainly sales tax and customs duties.
The Karandaaz Financial Inclusion Survey (K-FIS) 2022 reports a remarkable increase in the levels of financial inclusion in Pakistan. According to the survey, 30% of Pakistani adults are estimated to be financially included, which is a significant increase from previous years.
Pakistan has long struggled with low levels of financial inclusion, with only a small fraction of the population having access to formal financial services. According to the World Bank’s Global Findex, for 2021, just 21% of adults in Pakistan are
Over the last decade and more, significant effort has gone into harmonizing definitions and methodologies used to measure and track financial inclusion.
The Licensing and Regulatory Framework for Digital Banks unveiled by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in January 2022 not only heralds a firm resolution by the central bank to shake up Pakistan’s banking industry
