ISLAMABAD – Pakistan first ever National Financial Inclusion Strategy hasbeen approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PM Khan on Thursday approved a 5-year plan for enhanced National FinancialInclusion Strategy (NFIS) during a meeting held at the PM’s Office.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Adviser to thePrime Minister Dr Ishrat Hussain, finance secretary Arif Ahmed Khan, StateBank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Tariq Bajwa and other senior governmentofficials.

The National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) lays out the nationalvision, framework, action plan and targets for financial inclusion in thecountry.

The prime minister was informed that Pakistan had one of the lowest levelsof financial inclusion until 2015 as only 16 percent of adult populationhad a bank account. The account ownership was even lower for women at 11percent.

Besides, a large number of population remained voluntarily excluded due totheir religious and other concerns.