Pakistan has launched the InvestPak Portal, a new digital platform that allows individual and corporate investors to invest directly in government securities, as the government seeks to reduce its heavy reliance on commercial banks for borrowing and free up more lending for the private sector.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on Monday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb described the platform as the beginning of a new era for investment in Pakistan, saying it would broaden the government’s investor base while supporting the country’s digital transformation agenda.
Developed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the InvestPak Portal digitizes the process of investing in government securities, making it easier for both retail and institutional investors to participate in the fixed-income market.
Aurangzeb said reducing dependence on commercial banks for government financing has become a key policy objective. He noted that the issue of excessive government borrowing from banks has long been linked to the “crowding out” of private-sector credit, limiting banks’ ability to finance businesses and economic growth.
The finance minister said the government wants to diversify its funding sources by attracting participation from retail investors and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), allowing banks to allocate a larger share of their balance sheets to lending for businesses and productive sectors.
He also called on NBFIs to play a greater role in financing government securities, saying their business models and asset-liability management frameworks make them well-positioned to participate in the market.
Highlighting the role of technology in financial inclusion, Aurangzeb said digital investment platforms can make investing “faster, cheaper and better” while expanding access to government securities for ordinary Pakistanis.
The finance minister added that while Pakistan has witnessed a significant rise in equity market participation over the past 12 to 18 months, investment in fixed-income instruments has lagged behind. He said the InvestPak Portal is expected to help bridge that gap by making government securities more accessible to a broader range of investors.
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