SBP to discontinue Sohni Dharti Remittance Program

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided to discontinue the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program (SDRP), ending the incentive scheme that rewarded overseas Pakistanis for sending remittances through formal banking channels.

According to an SBP letter issued to banks and financial institutions, no further reward points under the SDRP will be awarded from the start of fiscal year 2026-27, effective July 1, 2026.

The central bank said all eligible remittance transactions processed up to June 30, 2026, will still qualify for reward points and will be reported to 1LINK for credit under the scheme.

However, reward points already accumulated by users until June 30, 2026, will remain redeemable until the end of FY27, June 30, 2027.

“Thereafter, SDRP shall become completely non-functional effective from July 1, 2027,” the SBP said in the letter.

The Sohni Dharti Remittance Programme (SDRP) was a loyalty initiative launched by the SBP to encourage overseas Pakistanis to send remittances through official banking channels. This program operates on a point-based system, allowing remitters to accumulate reward points by utilising SBP-regulated entities for their remittances.

The primary goal of SDRP was to enhance foreign exchange inflows into the country by incentivising the use of formal remittance channels.

Initially, the SDRP comprised three categories: ‘Green’, ‘Gold’, and ‘Platinum’. A significant enhancement to the program was the launch of a new ‘Diamond’ category, which became effective on September 22, 2023.

The reward points accumulated through the SDRP could be redeemed by both the remitter and their beneficiaries for a variety of free-of-cost products and services. These benefits cover a wide range of needs, such as paying the Emigrant Registration fee at the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, making duty payments for imported mobile sets and vehicles to the Federal Board of Revenue, covering school fees at Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, and renewing passports at the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed overseas Pakistanis as the country’s “most valuable asset”, saying their remittances remained a lifeline for the economy and a key source of support for the nation’s foreign exchange reserves.

Chairing a meeting, the prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to addressing the longstanding concerns of expatriates and directed officials to fast-track welfare initiatives for Pakistanis living abroad.