Pathfinder Group and Jazz hosted the prestigious ‘Digital Pakistan Breakfast’ held at the Pakistan Pavilion in Davos. Among the speakers were Zarrar Sehgal (Chairman, Pathfinder Group), Claude Dyer Head, (World Economic Forum’s, EDISON ALLIANCE), Aamir Ibrahim (President JAZZ & Chairman MMBL), Muhammad Salman Ali (CEO, VRG), and Ali Shah Asani (CEO, iPath).
Zarrar Sehgal described the pivotal role played by the Pathfinder Group in developing a mobile account designed to augment Pakistan’s National Strategy of Financial Inclusion. Expressing pride in this homegrown initiative, Sehgal welcomed collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s, Edison Alliance to showcase the success of VRG (Virtual Remittance Gateway) and the Asaan Mobile Account (AMA) for financial inclusion and empowerment of women.
Claude Dyer emphasized the critical need to address universal digital inclusion barriers. Focusing on connectivity access, infrastructure, device affordability, data plan accessibility, and digital skill usability, Dyer shed light on how the ‘10 billion lives’ challenge is shaping throughout.
As part of the challenge commended VRG and Pathfinder Group for facilitating the opening of 10 million plus bank accounts through the ASAAN mobile scheme. He emphasized the practical use of current technology in addressing fundamental needs amid broader discussions on AI and emerging tech such as Quantum Technology.
In a keynote address, Aamir Ibrahim of JAZZ expressed gratitude for collaboration opportunities and acknowledged Pakistan’s challenges, ranging from COVID crises to ongoing cross-border issues. He highlighted the role of digital technology in rebuilding trust, focusing on technology, trust, and transparency and goal to connect people through broadband technology.
Citing impressive statistics, including 44 million accounts and 30% women inclusion at Jazz Cash, he underscored the transformative power of technology in bridging gaps and the importance of collaboration for collective progress.
Delivering a presentation, Muhammad Salman Ali highlighted Pakistan’s potential in financial inclusion, emphasizing the massive outreach of telecom operators and the groundbreaking Asaan Mobile Account platform.
With 96.4 million subscribers, the platform’s success, with 10 million accounts and 38% being women, marked a significant achievement in women’s empowerment. He expressed pride in VRG being the only company having PSO/PSP regulated by SBP, TPSP, and cloud service licenses.
He further appreciated the efforts and results of collaborations with government entities, agriculture banks, and the Income Support Program showcasing VRG’s commitment to societal impact.
