State Bank of Pakistan has been promoting use of alternative delivery channels to enhance financial services to people without access to finance which is recognised as one of the fundamental constraints in achieving sustainable economic growth in many developing countries. SBP has issued Branchless Banking (BB) Regulations and providing technology related Technical Assistance grants under the capacity building components of the Financial Inclusion Program. To further build on these initiatives, the State Bank, in collaboration with the UK Aid, is organizing Pakistan Branchless Banking Conference 2010 in Karachi on 17 April 2010. The conference will help highlight the existing BB developments in Pakistan, showcase the state of industry preparedness, and catalyze the investments and product innovation.

The conference will invite leading international and local experts and practitioners on Branchless Banking including technology experts from the World Bank’s Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) as speakers and panelists. Moreover, the conference will invite nearly 200 participants primarily from Banking Sector, Mobile Operators, Technology Companies, Agent Networks, Regulators, Government and Donors for sharing experiences, enhancing coordination, and creating synergies that will benefit from the collective wisdom of participants.