KARACHI: Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Jameel Ahmed, announced that the new design currency notes are currently awaiting Cabinet approval, with the first of these notes expected to be released by the end of 2025.
In addition, the SBP has been working to introduce a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and a bill to provide the necessary legal framework is currently under consideration with the federal government.
Replying a question during the monetary policy briefing, Governor SBP Jameel Ahmed said that once this bill is passed, it will provide the legal foundation necessary to move forward with the digital currency initiative. This is an high-tech initiative, which requires a deep understanding of both global trends and cutting-edge technology and a primary focus for the State bank over the past two years, he added.
“We have been working on strengthening our technological capabilities because this is a very technical subject. It’s not just about launching a new currency, it’s about understanding how the world is evolving and ensuring that we are not left behind,” the Governor said.
For the last two years, the SBP has been closely studying the developments around the world, and learning from the technological frameworks other countries have adopted for digital currency. In addition to technical preparations, SBP has been focusing on the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks and a number of changes were required in the framework of the other countries to implement in Pakistan, he added.
“We also need to make sure that our own legal and regulatory systems are equipped to handle this transition of digital currency, therefore to make it legal, a bill is currently under consideration by the federal government”, he informed.
Talking on the new currency notes, Jameel said as per announcement last year, SBP is moving forward with the issuance of new design currency notes. He informed us that the first new currency note is expected to be released next fiscal year.
“It’s a long process, and the committee is working on it,” the Governor explained. Currently, the design of the new currency notes is under approval process and the cabinet is expected to give its final nod in the next two to three months, he added.
He clarified that the issuance of the new notes will happen in phases, though he refrained from revealing which specific denomination would be released first. “All currency notes will be issued phase by phase, but we are still in the final stages of approval,” he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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