The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is set to organize an upcoming webinar that delves into Pakistan’s evolving financial technology landscape, with a particular focus on the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Regulatory Sandbox Initiative. The session, scheduled for October 2, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM PKT, will be hosted virtually on Microsoft Teams.
The initiative is designed to provide innovators in the financial sector with a structured platform to test new products, services, and technologies under a controlled environment, enabling regulatory authorities and private players to assess potential impacts before full-scale market introduction. The IFC webinar will spotlight the application process for the SBP sandbox, as well as its upcoming cohort themes: open banking, remittances, and merchant onboarding.
According to the IFC, the main objective of the session is to share international best practices, highlight private sector perspectives, and provide clarity on regulatory expectations for applicants. By bringing together financial sector professionals, fintech entrepreneurs, regulators, and investors, the event aims to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions that can drive greater efficiency, inclusion, and resilience in Pakistan’s financial system.
Open banking is expected to be one of the key areas of focus, with global experts likely to discuss how data-sharing frameworks can empower consumers by giving them greater control over their financial information. This shift has the potential to create a more competitive financial services environment in Pakistan, unlocking opportunities for startups and established institutions alike.
Remittances, another central theme of the webinar, remain a lifeline for Pakistan’s economy. The session will examine how fintech innovations can streamline cross-border transfers, reduce transaction costs, and improve convenience for overseas Pakistanis sending money back home. Given the country’s reliance on remittances as a critical source of foreign exchange, enhancing the digital infrastructure around these flows is seen as a national priority.
Merchant onboarding will also be addressed, with discussions expected to revolve around how digital solutions can reduce barriers for small and medium-sized businesses. Efficient onboarding can enable merchants to integrate digital payment systems more seamlessly, thus expanding Pakistan’s digital economy footprint.
The IFC emphasized that sharing global experiences will help align Pakistan’s regulatory sandbox with international standards while tailoring solutions to local market needs. Private sector input, meanwhile, will ensure that the sandbox is not only regulatory-compliant but also commercially viable for innovators and businesses aiming to scale.
The webinar underscores IFC’s continued role in supporting Pakistan’s financial sector reforms and encouraging collaboration between regulators and market players. Interested participants can register and join the discussion through the official link: http://bit.ly/4numHei.
By enabling dialogue on regulatory innovation and practical use cases, the session aims to accelerate progress toward a more inclusive, transparent, and dynamic financial system in Pakistan.
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