ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has successfully completed the second phase of its Digital Financial Literacy Training (DFLT-II) programme under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), providing digital financial education to more than 255,000 beneficiaries across Pakistan.
Supported by the European Union in Pakistan and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the initiative began as a pilot project in 2023 before expanding into a nationwide programme covering all four provinces.
Programme Reaches Over 255,000 Beneficiaries
Speaking at a ceremony marking the completion of the project, SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri described the programme as a milestone in Pakistan’s digital payments ecosystem, particularly for empowering women through digital financial literacy.
He said informal training and capacity-building initiatives often have a wider social impact by reaching people from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Dr. Suleri also encouraged the project team to document case studies, lessons learned, and success stories to support future research on social protection and financial inclusion.
Nationwide Implementation
Project Lead Dr. Fareeha Armughan, Research Fellow and Lead of SDPI’s Centre for Evidence Action and Research, said the programme was implemented between July 2024 and 2026 with the support of BISP offices across Pakistan.
She acknowledged the contributions of provincial coordinators Dr. Kamran Khan (Punjab), Anam Malik (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Iffat (Sindh and Balochistan), along with Field Coordinator Atif and Co-Lead Dr. Asma Fiaz.
According to Dr. Armughan, the project engaged approximately 250 trainers, 40 implementation coordinators, and a 30-member quality assurance team. She added that all beneficiary interviews underwent comprehensive audio audits, while IT specialist Hammad managed a database containing more than eight million records.
SDPI Highlights Field Impact
Dr. Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director (Policy), praised the field teams for their efforts in reaching beneficiaries across the country despite operational challenges. He said the initiative would serve as a key example of SDPI’s evidence-based policy and development work.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sajid Amin Javed, Deputy Executive Director (Research), said the programme’s successful completion reflected strong leadership and effective teamwork, encouraging continued collaboration within the institute.
Closing Ceremony
The event concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony, during which Dr. Abid Suleri distributed certificates to the project leadership, provincial coordinators, consultants, field staff, implementation coordinators, and quality assurance team members in recognition of their contributions to the nationwide programme.
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