ISLAMABAD, February 08: Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will begin a three-day visit to Pakistan from Tuesday as part of her global efforts to promote financial inclusion.
The queen is the UN secretary-general’s special advocate for inclusive finance for development and her scheduled visit comes in support of Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy.
During her visit, the queen is set to hold meetings with the president, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, together with governor State Bank of Pakistan, according to Radio Pakistan.
On the sidelines of these meetings, the queen is also scheduled to meet with other stakeholders from public and private sectors.
Further, Queen Máxima will hold discussions with the representatives of international organisations, financial organisations, telecom companies and micro-finance institutions to explore their role in improving access to financial services such as savings, payments, credit and insurance.
Launched in May 2015, the strategy aims to expand the availability of the financial tools the poor need to protect themselves against hardship and improve their lives.
The World Bank is preparing a programme to support the implementation of Pakistan’s financial inclusion strategy over the next five years.
Pakistan has a well-organised financial system but the use of formal services is low, particularly among women, farmers and small businesses.-Agencies
