Galaxefi Solutions, a Karachi-based tech firm, has launched BARTMAS, a Barter Trade Management System designed to modernize Pakistan’s barter trade mechanism amid ongoing challenges with countries like Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan. The system aims to improve transparency, efficiency, and coordination in barter transactions, crucial due to limited banking relations stemming from sanctions.

Asif Pervez, the firm’s CEO, emphasized the need to replace outdated manual processes with a digital framework that can provide real-time measurements. BARTMAS will integrate key national institutions via digital APIs, including the Pakistan Single Window, the Federal Board of Revenue, and others, enabling a fully auditable barter process from request initiation to customs clearance.

The initiative follows the failures of recent barter trades, such as the 2023–24 wheat trade mismanagement, which cost the government and farmers Rs 484 billion and exacerbated food poverty. Experts attribute these failures to reliance on manual approvals and fragmented record-keeping. BARTMAS offers a comprehensive policy model that could transform Pakistan’s approach to barter trade. With rising inflation and food insecurity, digital reform in trade management is becoming imperative. The question remains whether the government will take the necessary steps to implement these solutions.ic and food security.