ISLAMABAD – Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to discuss progress of financial inclusion in Pakistan.
Appreciating the UNSGSA’s dedication to promote financial inclusion, the minister said that her visit would provide added impetus to ongoing initiatives in the country. He also highlighted steps taken by Pakistan to promote financial inclusion.
The Minister informed the UNSGSA that the government had prioritized the National Financial Inclusion Strategy ‘NFIS’ as part of its initial 100-day agenda. Its implementation by 2023 is expected to lead to a creation of three million new jobs and additional exports of $ 5.5 billion through enhanced access to finance for SME’s.
In line with the purpose of Queen Maxima’s visit, the Foreign Minister also invited to the meeting a select group of civil society representatives working on financial inclusion and development of women in Pakistan.
Sadaffe Abid, founder of CIRCLE, Khalida Brohi, Founder of Sughar Foundation, 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 of access to financial service for women and promoting inclusive Fintech – the use of technology in financial services.