Karandaaz Pakistan hosted a report launch and stakeholder dialogue, Digitalizing Transactions: Insights on E-Invoicing and Agri Spot Trading in Pakistan, bringing together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, private sector leaders, and development partners to explore the role of digital transaction infrastructure in strengthening Pakistan’s economy.
The event marked the launch of two research studies: E-Invoicing in Pakistan and Feasibility Study for Agri Spot Trading in Punjab, Pakistan. Together, the studies explored how a strong transaction infrastructure can strengthen access to finance, create efficient market systems, increase transparency, and support economic formalization.
Leadership Perspectives
Speaking on the importance of the research, Waqas ul Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of Karandaaz Pakistan, stated:
“As Pakistan advances its digital transformation journey, today’s discussions and research can help build greater awareness across the ecosystem and support the development of institutional frameworks needed to unlock this space. Over the past decade, Karandaaz has worked with the public and private sectors to strengthen Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem, from conceptualizing Raast to digitizing the ecosystem. The research being launched today reflects that commitment and aims to inform dialogue with regulators and government while fostering growth and innovation that contributes to real economic activity.”
In his keynote address, Ali Farid Khwaja, Commissioner of the Securities Markets Division at the SECP, highlighted the importance of modern market infrastructure and regulatory innovation:
“E-invoicing and electronic warehouse receipts can help Pakistan move from fragmented transactions to trusted digital market infrastructure. SECP’s role is to enable responsible innovation, strengthen market confidence, and support frameworks where verified digital records can improve transparency, reduce risk and expand access to finance.”
Panel Discussions
The event featured two panel discussions examining the practical implications of these findings:
Panel 1: “Can Pakistan leverage E-Invoicing as a foundational infrastructure for economic formalization and SME finance?”
Moderated by Taimoor Ali (Group Head DFS Projects, Karandaaz), the panel included Aisha Farooq (Chief Commissioner, Regional Tax Office, Islamabad), Omer Bin Ahsan (CEO, Haball), Saeed Iqbal (Director and Co-Founder, Dynamic Resources Limited), and Faisal Bari Cheema (Head of SME Supply Chain Portfolio Management, Bank Alfalah Limited).
Panel 2: “Building transparent agri markets: Can agri spot trading improve price discovery and market access?”
Moderated by Hasnat Ashraf (Head Development Impact, Karandaaz), the panel brought together Khurram Zafar (CEO, PMEX), Ahmed Umair (Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Agriculture), Saher Shaikh (Chief Guarantee Officer, NCGCL), and Farhan Tahir (CEO and Co-Founder, Kissan Gudam).
The discussions underscored a growing recognition that modern transaction infrastructure is critical to advancing Pakistan’s digital economy.
About Karandaaz Pakistan
Karandaaz Pakistan is a leading development finance institution committed to advancing digitalization for economic and market development in Pakistan. Through research, stakeholder engagement, and ecosystem development, Karandaaz remains dedicated to supporting solutions that strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy and enable inclusive, sustainable growth
