Ottawa:The Pakistan High Commission, Ottawa, on Wednesday hosted a webinar at which the Canadian-Pakistani community was apprised of the benefits and opportunities offered by the Roshan Digital Account (RDA), a flagship programme of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in collaboration with Pakistani commercial banks.
RDA allows oversees Pakistanis to have access to banking services within Pakistan without having to visit a consulate, embassy, or a bank branch.
The webinar was organized in cooperation with the Bank of Punjab and State Bank of Pakistan to engage with the Pakistani diaspora across Canada.
The panelists included Shah Faisal Kakar, Acting High Commissioner; Syed Ali Raza, Head of Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI) at the State Bank of Pakistan; Nofel Daud, Chief Digital Officer, Bank of Punjab; Salman Saeed, Head of Home Remittances Division; Ishtiak Ahmed Akil, Consul General, Montreal; Khalil Ahmed Bajwa, Consul General, Toronto; Ghulam Hussain, Acting Consul General, Vancouver; and Altamash
Janjua, Trade and Investment Counsellor, Canada.
A press release of the High Commission said webinar highlighted the integral role of the Canadian-Pakistani community comprising over half a million individuals contributing significantly to diverse sectors such as finance, technology, healthcare, and economic development.
Their professional success has driven a robust demand for financial products that facilitate seamless connectivity with Pakistan’s banking and financial systems, it said.
Key highlights of the webinar included: Roshan Digital Account (RDA): A digital platform enabling overseas Pakistanis to remotely open and operate personal bank accounts in Pakistan, simplifying fund transfers, supporting investment in Pakistan’s real estate and stock markets, and providing tax benefits.
Also highlighted was the impact of remittances. During the fiscal year 2023-2024, Pakistan received remittances of over $30.2 billion globally, with $504.8 million originating from Canada, the press release said.
RDA
has played a pivotal role, enabling over 735,000 accounts across 175 countries, transferring $8.9 billion and repatriating $1.67 billion.
The session provided attendees with detailed insights into the programme’s features, addressing community queries and showcasing the immense trust and enthusiasm of overseas Pakistanis in contributing to their homeland’s economic growth, it said.
During the question-and-answer session, queries from the Pakistani community were responded to by Salman Saeed.
The Pakistan Mission expressed gratitude to the community for their unwavering commitment to Pakistan and reiterated its dedication to strengthening this bond through continuous engagement and support.