ISLAMABAD – Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United NationsSecretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development(UNSGSA), met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs on Monday to discuss progress of financial inclusion inPakistan.

Appreciating the UNSGSA’s dedication to promote financial inclusion, theminister said that her visit would provide added impetus to ongoinginitiatives in the country.He also highlighted steps taken by Pakistan to promote financial inclusion.

The Minister informed the UNSGSA that the government had prioritized theNational Financial Inclusion Strategy ‘NFIS’ as part of its initial 100-dayagenda. Its implementation by 2023 is expected to lead to a creation ofthree million new jobs and additional exports of $ 5.5 billion throughenhanced access to finance for SME’s.

In line with the purpose of Queen Maxima’s visit, the Foreign Minister alsoinvited to the meeting a select group of civil society representativesworking on financial inclusion and development of women in Pakistan.

Sadaffe Abid, founder of CIRCLE, Khalida Brohi, Founder of SugharFoundation, Fiza Farhan, former CEO Buksh Foundation, and Shehzad Roy,founder of Zindagi Trust attended the meeting and provided valuable inputs.

The UNSGSA appreciated Pakistan’s efforts including the prioritization ofaccess to financial service for women and promoting inclusive Fintech – theuse of technology in financial services.