e-Sahulat Branchless Banking: Nadra facilitates financial institutions, telecom operators

The Technologists of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have designed an automated system for financial institutions and telecom operators for branchless banking with currency transactions of e-Sahulat touch points. The automated system was designed by NADRA Technologies Ltd (NTL) to further improve the means of e-government in the country, said Tariq Malik, Deputy Chairman NADRA here on Wednesday.
He expressed these views during signing ceremony of MoU between Bank Alfalah and NTL on the joint project of e-Sahulat Branchless Banking. Under the agreement, NADRA will act as super agent of Bank Alfalah offering them their e-Sahulat outlets for Branchless Banking activities.
Tariq Malik said the e-Sahulat is a secured commercial platform for money transactions with its best automated technology solution. "An average seven million transactions are being executed monthly through public-private partnership with NADRA's expertise and infrastructure", he added.
He said that the NTL is in process of transforming the platform into National Smart Service Platform for e-commerce where organisations can utilise, as e-Sahulat touch points for cash in and cash out transactions. This arrangement will help commercial banks and telecom operators to extend branchless banking concept through e-Sahulat without any further infrastructural expenditure while saving Capital and Operational costs, thus creating a Win-Win situation for all parties, he added.
It is expected that the technology will facilitate a significant section of public, especially those living in rural areas to carry out branchless banking activities, besides meeting the government objective to spread the branchless banking outreach to unbaked and poor of the poor population, he added. The e-Sahulat scheme was launched in May 2008. Since then, it has been gaining popularity in urban and rural areas for transaction of miscellaneous payments such as utility bills, cell phone balance recharge, etc. Besides, it has provided business opportunities to many educated unemployed people with very minimal and affordable investment.