National Bank of Pakistan has enabled digital collection of passport fees through Raast Person-to-Merchant QR, giving citizens the option to pay their passport fees through the mobile applications of participating banks. The initiative expands the use of Pakistan’s instant payment infrastructure for government-related collections and provides an alternative to conventional payment methods.
The new payment facility is part of NBP’s broader digital transformation efforts and supports the Government of Pakistan’s Cashless Pakistan agenda. The government has been working to increase the use of digital payment channels for public-sector transactions, while banks and financial institutions are playing a key role in expanding interoperable payment services.
To review the implementation of the initiative and discuss further collaboration, Ch. Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Director General Immigration and Passports, visited NBP’s Head Office in Karachi with his team. During the visit, the delegation met Abdul Wahid Sethi, SEVP and Group Chief and Chief Financial Officer of the Financial Control Group, Faisal Topra, SEVP and Group Chief of the Operations Group, and Adnan Nasir, Chief Digital Officer and Group Chief of the Digital Banking Group, along with senior officials from NBP’s Digital Banking and Operations teams.
The meeting included a review of the performance of the Raast-based cashless passport fee payment solution. Officials also discussed additional digital payment options that could further improve the collection process. One of the options under consideration is a Payment System Identifier-based alternative payment mechanism, which could provide another channel for citizens and help maintain continuity in passport fee collections.
Abdul Wahid Sethi said NBP considers digital transformation an important tool for making public services more accessible, efficient and customer-focused. He said the bank is supporting the government’s digital payments and cashless economy agenda and remains focused on using technology to simplify financial services and make them easier for citizens to access.
The Director General Immigration and Passports appreciated NBP’s efforts and collaboration in supporting digital transformation and improving public service delivery. The engagement also reflects growing cooperation between government institutions and the banking sector in expanding digital channels for government payments.
The implementation of Raast P2M QR for passport fee collections strengthens NBP’s role in supporting interoperable digital payments in Pakistan. Raast is the country’s instant payment system and is designed to facilitate digital transactions involving individuals, businesses and government entities. The use of the system for passport fee payments adds another government-related service to Pakistan’s expanding digital payments ecosystem.
Follow the PakBanker Whatsapp Channel for updates across Pakistan’s banking ecosystem.