By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has decided to introduce a fully digital payment system through the Raast platform, under the digitalisation vision of Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, making it the first municipal institution in Pakistan to shift all payments to electronic transfers.
According to the announcement made on Monday, all payments to vendors, contractors and other approved beneficiaries will be transferred directly into their bank accounts from the new financial year starting July 2026.
Mayor Karachi said the initiative would strengthen transparency, promote good governance and improve financial discipline within the civic body. He said the adoption of Raast-based payments would ensure that funds were transferred in a secure, fast and real-time manner, eliminating delays, paperwork and manual processes associated with traditional systems.
He added that the digital payment system was not only a technological upgrade but a major reform in municipal financial management. It would improve financial monitoring, enhance accountability and reduce administrative costs, he said.
The mayor further said that KMC had become the first municipal institution to adopt a cashless financial model in line with the approved payment system of the Accountant General Sindh, describing it as an important step towards modernising public sector financial operations.
On this occasion, KMC Financial Advisor Gulzar Abro briefed officials on the project’s features, implementation plan and timeline for rollout.
