As part of its commitment to advancing digitalization for economic and market development in Pakistan, Karandaaz Pakistan hosted a report launch and stakeholder dialogue, Digitalizing Transactions: Insights on E-Invoicing and Agri Spot Trading in Pakistan. The event brought 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, efficient market systems, increase transparency and support economic formalization.
Speaking on the importance of the research, Waqas ul Hasan, Chief Executive Officer, Karandaaz Pakistan, said: “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.”
The experts presented findings from Karandaaz Pakistan’s latest research. The study on e-invoicing examined how digital invoicing can improve transaction visibility, strengthen tax compliance, and support SME financing, while assessing Pakistan’s readiness for wider adoption.
The second study explored the feasibility of a structured spot trading mechanism for agricultural commodities in Punjab, identifying opportunities to improve price discovery, market transparency, and access to finance through electronic warehouse receipt systems.
In his keynote address, Ali Farid Khwaja, Commissioner, Securities Markets Division, SECP, highlighted the importance of modern market infrastructure and regulatory innovation, saying, “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.”
The event featured two panel discussions that examined the practical implications of these findings. The first discussion titled, “Can Pakistan leverage E-Invoicing as a foundational infrastructure for economic formalization and SME finance?”, 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), moderated by Taimoor Ali (Group Head DFS Projects, Karandaaz). The second panel, “Building transparent agri markets: Can agri spot trading improve price discovery and market access?”, 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), moderated by Hasnat Ashraf (Head Development Impact, Karandaaz).
The discussions underscored a growing recognition that modern transaction infrastructure is critical to advance. Through research, stakeholder engagement, and ecosystem development, Karandaaz Pakistan remains committed to supporting solutions that strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy and enable inclusive, sustainable growth.
