Ramazan package to be distributed through digital wallets: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a review meeting on the federal government’s proposed Ramazan package and the third-party validation of last year’s Ramazan package.

During the meeting, the prime minister praised all relevant institutions and ministries after a reputable audit firm submitted its report endorsing the transparency of last year’s Ramazan package.

The prime minister said that since last year, the federal government has put in place a transparent mechanism to provide essential food items to the poor at subsidised rates through the Ramazan package.

He said the decades-old system of financial irregularities, mismanagement and exploitation of the poor through utility stores had been transformed into a transparent system.

He directed the relevant institutions to formulate a more effective and beneficial package, along with recommendations, for the upcoming Ramazan compared with last year.

The prime minister said that due to corruption at utility stores, deserving people were deprived of their rightful share.

He said that financial assistance and social welfare for the poor and lower-middle-class citizens are among the government’s top priorities.

He instructed that financial assistance under the Ramazan package should be provided to poor citizens through digital wallets to ensure their dignity and respect.

He said that distributing assistance through digital wallets would also prove to be a milestone towards achieving a cashless economy.

The prime minister further said that the involvement of the State Bank of Pakistan in the distribution of the Ramazan package would help promote a cashless economy.

He directed all relevant ministries and institutions to ensure that the scope and inclusion of poor beneficiaries in the assistance programme are expanded as much as possible.

He also called for the early submission of a comprehensive strategy and recommendations, including practical measures, to ensure better and more effective payments than last year.

For effective oversight, he directed that a digital dashboard and an organised monitoring system be developed.

The meeting was briefed that in the third-party validation of last year’s package, an internationally renowned and credible audit firm had declared the government’s package effective and transparent.

It was further informed that a social protection wallet system is being introduced under the Benazir Income Support Programme, under which free SIMs are being distributed to eligible beneficiaries, and from March 2026 all assistance amounts will be distributed digitally through these SIMs.

It was clarified that the third-party validation of the Ramazan package did not identify any financial corruption or serious administrative irregularities.

Web Desk